U.S. Department of Justice No Longer Requires New York Times Journalists to Disclose Sources

The U.S. Justice Department has withdrawn a request for New York Times journalists to disclose the identities of their anonymous sources.

The case involves articles published by the outlet that discussed security issues related to an aircraft provided to Donald Trump by Qatar. According to New York Times reporting, Trump left Turkey on an older Air Force One because the new aircraft received from Qatar lacked anti-missile and other defensive systems. The information cited in the article relied on anonymous sources.

Following this, Manhattan Federal Prosecutor Jay Clayton requested on July 10 that journalists provide information about their sources. However, during a court hearing, the prosecutor announced that the Justice Department would withdraw this demand.

New York Times approached the court and stated that such action would serve to intimidate journalists and interfere with their work. According to the publication's assessment, this violated freedom of the press protected by the U.S. Constitution. The company also noted that the Justice Department had violated its own internal regulations, as requests for journalists to disclose sources should only be used in exceptional cases.

The prosecutor's office disagreed with these allegations. According to the agency's position, freedom of the press does not grant journalists the right to withhold information crucial for criminal investigations. The Justice Department also stated that the material published by New York Times concerned national security matters, as the information related to the president's flight and classified defense data.

The Trump administration claims its goal is not to pressure journalists, but to pursue criminal cases against those who disclose classified information. However, media rights organizations believe the administration is using legal mechanisms against journalists too frequently.

Source: Investing.com