A lawsuit has been filed against the New York Times Company by shareholders who are seeking access to internal records related to the paper's editorial standards and fact-checking procedures. The State Board of Administration of Florida and the National Center for Public Policy Research filed the petition in New York County Supreme Court, citing concerns about the paper's Gaza coverage and its handling of topics related to the Israel-Hamas war.
The petition alleges that the New York Times has a history of publishing "materially false or baseless factual assertions," and cites a peer-reviewed study that found the paper admitted to 72 errors in its coverage of the Israel-Hamas war between October 2023 and June 2024. The petition also claims that the paper's corrections were often late, vague, or evasive.
The shareholders are seeking access to internal records that would demonstrate how the paper's board oversees editorial standards, fact-checking, and corrections. The petition claims that the board has failed to monitor the paper's internal controls and has allowed editors to "weaponize" journalistic standards to serve their personal agendas.
The New York Times has rejected prior demands for the requested records, arguing that they do not serve a proper purpose and violate the First Amendment. A spokesperson for the paper dismissed the lawsuit, calling it a "transparent attempt to exert agenda-driven pressure" against an independent media organization.
The lawsuit has been supported by Gerard Filitti, senior counsel with The Lawfare Project, a Jewish civil and human rights organization. Filitti has pointed out that the New York Times has refused to retract or correct several articles that have been criticized for their sourcing and claims.
NTC Report coverage is based on reporting from the original publisher.
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