Key facts
- Florida's state-administered public pension fund sued The New York Times on Wednesday.
- The lawsuit seeks internal records to determine the newspaper's adherence to its editorial standards.
- The suit specifically targets coverage, including a Nicholas Kristof opinion column.
- The New York Times stated the lawsuit is an attempt to chill First Amendment-protected journalism.
Florida's state-administered public pension fund has filed a lawsuit against The New York Times, seeking access to the newspaper's internal records to ascertain whether it is upholding its editorial standards. The legal action follows previous criticisms of the Times' coverage from conservative organizations and figures.
The lawsuit specifically highlights a May opinion column by Nicholas Kristof, titled "The Silence That Meets the Rape of Palestinians," which accused Israel of using dogs to rape Palestinian prisoners. The Times defended the column, stating it underwent a rigorous vetting process and that Kristof's reporting was supported by independent sources. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government had previously labeled the column a "hideous and distorted lie."
In response to the lawsuit, Danielle Rhoades Ha, senior vice president for communications at The New York Times, stated that the demand letter, while framed as a corporate law request, is a "clear attempt to chill First Amendment-protected journalism." She added that the newspaper would respond more fully in due course. The Attorney General is reportedly seeking records related to board briefings on the Kristof article and its aftermath.