The New York Times has REJECTED the Trump/Hegseth new rule that all reporting needs to be "approved" by the Pentagon before publishing.

In October 2025, the Department of Defense under then-Secretary Pete Hegseth introduced new media guidelines requiring journalists to sign a pledge that prohibited the collection of any information not explicitly authorized for release by the Pentagon. This policy carried the threat that any journalist who refused to sign would forfeit their press credentials and access to the department. In response, The New York Times and a large, bipartisan coalition of media outlets, including the Associated Press and Newsmax, publicly declared that they would not sign the pledge.

The New York Times subsequently pursued a legal challenge against the Pentagon and the Secretary of Defense, arguing that the policy was unconstitutional. A court eventually sided with the news organization, ruling that the requirements violated both the First and Fifth Amendments. The court found that the imposed restrictions were unlawful and overstepped the authority of the department.pbs.orgpbs.orgJudge Sides with New York Times in Challenge to Pentagon Policy Limiting...S. District Judge Paul Friedman ruled in favor of The New York Times, blocking the Trump administration from enforcing the policy The policy and the subsequent legal battle were widely covered by major credible news organizations,...ap.orgap.orgNew York Times Ap Newsmax Among News Outlets Who Say They Wont Sign New Pentagon...The policy stated that journalists who refused to sign the pledge would lose their press credentials and access to the Pentagon Broad Media Rejection: The New York Times was not alone in this stance; it joined a large, bipartisan coalition...

These restrictions were widely documented across several major news outlets at the time, which reported on the specific terms of the pledge and the subsequent institutional refusal to adhere to the new guidelines.latimes.comlatimes.comPentagon Steps Up Media Restrictions Now Requiring Approval Before Reporting...In October 2025, the Department of Defense (led by then-Secretary Pete Hegseth) issued new media guidelines that required journalists to sign a pledge to refrain from gathering information that had not been "explicitly authorized" for...apnews.comapnews.comPentagon Reporting Rules Hegseth Defense Department Access...The claim that The New York Times rejected a new rule requiring Pentagon approval for reporting is verified and supported by extensive reporting and court records In October 2025, the Department of Defense (led by then-Secretary Pete...+2 more