The New York Times has, for the second time in five months, sued the US Department of Defense over a rule forcing journalists to have escorts while inside the Pentagon.
The newspaper argues that the rule violates the First Amendment of the US Constitution, which protects freedom of the press.
“The policy is an unconstitutional attempt by the Pentagon to block independent reporting on military affairs,” Times spokesperson Charlie Stadtlander said.
He said the American public has the right to know how the government and military are operating using taxpayers’ money.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell rejected the claim, saying in a post on X that the lawsuit was an attempt to gain easier access to classified information.
The case marks the latest chapter in an ongoing dispute between the media and President Donald Trump’s second administration.
The Times first sued the Pentagon in December after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth introduced new rules for journalists seeking access to the building.
In March, US District Judge Paul L. Friedman struck down those restrictions, ruling that they violated the rights of Times reporter Julian E. Barnes and the newspaper.
After the ruling, the Pentagon introduced an interim policy requiring reporters to be always escorted while inside the building.
In April, Judge Friedman said the new policy also violated his earlier order. However, the escort rule remained in place after an appeals court suspended part of the judge’s decision while the government challenges it.
The new lawsuit, filed in a federal court in Washington, directly challenges the escort requirement on constitutional grounds.
The Times said the rule is part of a broader effort to limit access for journalists who are unwilling to report only what Pentagon officials approve.
The newspaper called the policy “clearly unconstitutional.”
In its earlier lawsuit, the Times and several other news organisations refused to accept the Pentagon’s new terms for obtaining press credentials and leaving their workspaces inside the building.
They continue to cover the US military from outside the Pentagon, while journalists approved of under the new rules now occupy the press offices.
Parnell said the escort policy is lawful and narrowly designed to protect national security information from unauthorised disclosure.
