Media representatives had to pack up their belongings in the press area of the Pentagon in Washington on October 15, 2025.Image: keystone
Dec 4, 2025, 5:31 p.mDec 4, 2025, 5:31 p.m
The New York Times has filed a lawsuit against the Pentagon. The newspaper accuses the US Department of Defense of violating the constitutional rights of journalists with new guidelines that have been in effect since October. The guidelines stipulate that reporters are not allowed to publish any information without the permission of the ministry – otherwise their accreditation could be withdrawn. Reporters who did not agree to comply with the requirement had to hand in their ID cards and vacate their workplaces.
Almost all major US media companies have rejected the rules: broadcasters such as ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN and Fox News as well as newspapers such as the New York Times refused to sign the Defense Ministry’s new 21-page catalog of rules.
A police officer stands guard in front of the New York Times building.Image: keystone
The New York Times now argues in its lawsuit that the new directive violates the First Amendment and aims to “restrict the ability of journalists to do what journalists have always done: ask government employees questions and gather information.” This is necessary in order to publish articles that offer more than official announcements. The First Amendment to the US Constitution protects, among other things, freedom of speech, religion and the press. In principle, Congress may not pass laws that restrict these freedoms.
“Freedom of the Press”: other media should follow
The Freedom of the Press Foundation welcomed the lawsuit. “An attack on the rights of one journalist is an attack on everyone,” the nonprofit organization said. She accused Trump of “multi-layered attacks on press freedom” and called on other media outlets to follow the New York Times.
The US Department of Defense, now called the War Department, introduced a new press corps after largely withdrawing established correspondents. According to a statement from the ministry in October, more than 60 journalists from so-called new media and independent reporters should be given access to the authority. They signed the ministry’s new, controversial media guidelines.
The “Freedom of the Press” foundation accuses Trump of “multi-faceted attacks on press freedom.”Image: keystone
US President Donald Trump had also previously defended the tightening of access rules. The move is part of a series of measures by his government to try to restrict access to independent media. For example, the composition of the White House press pool was changed in the spring, so that agencies such as the Associated Press (AP), Reuters and Bloomberg lost their permanent positions. Instead, right-wing bloggers and social media influencers were admitted. Trump also repeatedly causes a stir with lawsuits against the media. (sda/dpa)