High-stakes First Amendment suit against the Pentagon heads to court
MS NOW • • nation
Key Points:
- On Sept. 11, 2001, Pentagon reporters witnessed the attacks on New York and the Pentagon firsthand, with the building later evacuated after the third plane hit.
- Since October, the Pentagon press corps has largely vacated the building due to a new Department of Defense policy restricting press credentials and imposing strict controls on reporting and interactions with officials.
- The policy, implemented by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, requires reporters to agree to limitations on their coverage and grants Pentagon officials broad authority to revoke credentials, which many major news organizations have rejected as a First Amendment violation.
- A lawsuit filed by The New York Times challenges the constitutionality of the policy, arguing it suppresses journalists' ability to gather news by cutting
