The New York Times refused this Friday to sign a document proposed by the US War Department that prevents the media from publishing unauthorized information if they wish to access its facilities.
“Journalists at The New York Times will not sign the Pentagon’s revised press accreditation policy, which threatens to punish them for routine newsgathering protected by the First Amendment,” Richard Stevenson, the newspaper’s Washington chief, said in a statement.
The Pentagon announced last September that it will only allow journalists access to its facilities if they agree not to publish certain information, an unprecedented measure that gives the War Department (formerly known as the Department of Defense) broad control over the content disseminated.
Stevenson reiterated the newspaper’s concern about this policy, which “limits how journalists can report on the U.S. military, which is funded by nearly a trillion taxpayer dollars a year.”
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“The public has the right to know how the Government and the Army work,” added the journalist, who assured that the media is dedicated to defending the public interest through “deep and fair” information and an “unwavering” search for the facts.
As Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell explained in September, reporters must sign a note in which they agree not to disclose classified information or documents considered sensitive, even if they are not officially marked as secret.
Parnell noted that the new rule would take effect within two to three weeks and would apply to all media outlets that cover the headquarters of this portfolio.
In May, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth further restricted access amid the crisis over the controversial leak of US strikes in Yemen to a Signal group.
With information from EFE.
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