The New York Times is suing the Defense Department over a controversial press policy.
The lawsuit, filed Thursday, challenges rules that require Pentagon reporters to pledge not to seek any information the government hasn’t authorized for release.
The Times says the policy violates First Amendment press freedoms.
Dozens of reporters from major news outlets turned in their press badges rather than sign the agreement when it took effect in October. Scripps News was among the outlets that did not sign the Pentagon agreement.
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The Pentagon Press Association supports the Times’ suit. Scripps News is a participating member of the Pentagon Press Association.
“The Pentagon Press Association is encouraged by The New York Times’ effort to step up and defend press freedom,” the association said. “The Defense Department’s attempt to limit how credentialed reporters gather the news and what information they may publish is antithetical to a free and independent press and prohibited by the First Amendment.”
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The Pentagon held its first briefing since the changes were made Tuesday. Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson faced a mixture of tough questions and a few softballs as most of the outlets in attendance generally provide more favorable coverage of the administration.
“Legacy media chose to self-deport from this building. And if you look at the numbers, it’s pretty clear why no one followed them. National trust in these mainstream media outlets has cratered to 28 percent, the lowest ever recorded. The American people don’t trust these propagandists because they stopped telling the truth,” Wilson said.
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“We’re not going to beg these old gatekeepers to come back, and we’re not rebuilding a broken model just to appease them,” she added. “Instead, we’re welcoming new media outlets that actually reach Americans, ask real questions and don’t pursue a biased agenda. The public has moved on from the old model, and so will the Pentagon.”
