The New York Times sued on Monday to block a requirement that reporters be escorted on Pentagon grounds, asserting it is unconstitutional just like the Defense Department’s earlier press restrictions.
Previously, The Times convinced a judge to block strict credentialing rules that limit how defense reporters can solicit information. The Pentagon responded by unveiling a new set of restrictions that includes the escort requirement.
The suit seeks to block it and return to the pre-Trump rules.
“Stories based on routine unplanned interactions between journalists and Pentagon personnel on Pentagon grounds, stories built on dozens of conversations with Pentagon press officers from various parts of the Department and across the building, stories that capture the mood and atmosphere within the Pentagon during times of consequential military operations—all are examples of what Plaintiffs can no longer report,” the complaint reads.
The Hill has reached out to the Pentagon for comment.
