The New York Times is facing a shareholder lawsuit seeking access to internal records amid allegations that the newspaper failed to enforce its own journalistic standards in its coverage of Israel and the war in Gaza.
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The State Board of Administration of Florida and the National Center for Public Policy Research filed suit Wednesday in New York County Supreme Court after months of unsuccessful requests for corporate records. The plaintiffs are seeking materials including board agendas, committee charters and newsroom standards.
The lawsuit argues that shareholders have a legitimate financial interest in determining whether Times leadership adequately oversees journalistic standards because the company has acknowledged in SEC filings that its reputation and credibility are important business assets.
“Shareholders are entitled to see whether the board was watching at all,” said David Benger, an attorney representing the National Jewish Advocacy Center, part of the plaintiffs’ legal team.
According to the lawsuit, a longtime Jewish Times employee repeatedly raised concerns internally about what she viewed as anti-Israel bias following Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel. The complaint says she contacted managers, human resources and ethics channels at least 15 times before leaving the newspaper in March.
The suit also cites the Times’ decision to use freelance journalist Soliman Hijjy after previously dropping him over social media posts praising Adolf Hitler.
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Another example centers on a July 2025 photograph of an emaciated Gazan child. The Times initially reported that his mother said he had been born healthy, but later added an editors’ note acknowledging that the child suffered from severe pre-existing genetic conditions.
The plaintiffs also point to a study by Yale School of Management professor Edieal Pinker analyzing 1,559 Times reports published from Oct. 7, 2023, through June 7, 2024. The study found substantial disparities in how Israeli and Palestinian suffering, casualties and violence were covered.
The Times has rejected accusations of institutional bias, previously saying its reporting on the conflict was conducted with exceptional rigor.
The court will now determine whether the shareholders are entitled to inspect the requested internal records.
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