New York Times sued over alleged anti-Israel bias

The New York Times is facing a shareholder court action over allegations of anti-Israel bias in its coverage of the Israel–Hamas war.

The State Board of Administration of Florida, acting for the Florida Retirement System Trust Fund, and the National Centre for Public Policy Research filed a petition in New York on 23 September. 

They want the company to produce records relating to source verification, corrections and the board’s oversight of editorial standards. The action seeks access to documents; it does not ask the court to rule that the Times’ reporting was biased.

Shareholders question board oversight

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the petition alleges that errors and disputed claims in the Times’ reporting point to weaknesses in its editorial controls. It also cites concerns from a newsroom employee about how the paper handled complaints of alleged anti-Israel bias.

The claims have not been tested in court. The Times previously refused the shareholders’ request for records, saying it sought access to day-to-day editorial decisions for an improper purpose.

Times rejects the case

“This lawsuit has no merit and was brought for an improper purpose,” a Times spokesperson told Fox News. The company described the petition as an attempt to exert “agenda-driven pressure against an independent media organisation” and said it would defend the case vigorously.

The immediate question for the court is whether the shareholders are entitled to inspect the records they have requested. That puts a newsroom governance dispute before a judge, while the Times maintains that its editorial independence is being targeted.