Data / Federal rules / 2025-07566
Policy Regarding Obtaining Information From, or Records of, Members of the News Media; and Regarding Questioning, Arresting, or Charging Members of the News Media
The Justice Department published this final rule in the Federal Register on May 2, 2025. It took effect on May 2, 2025.
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What the agency says
This rule amends the Department of Justice regulations regarding obtaining information from news media to bring the regulations back into alignment with the decades-long practices in place before dramatic changes were adopted in 2022. The purpose of these regulations since their first adoption more than 50 years ago has been to strike the proper balance between the public's interest in the free dissemination of ideas and information and the public's interest in effective law enforcement and the fair administration of justice. But after several years under these changes, the Department has concluded that the current policy strikes the wrong balance, undermining the Department's ability to safeguard classified, privileged, and other sensitive information, and that the earlier, longstanding practices related to news media records were more optimal. The rule therefore rescinds the amendments of 2022 and adopts a modified version of the 2014 regulations, revised to better align with what had been longstanding Department practice.
Key facts
- Document number
- 2025-07566
- Type
- Final rule
- Action
- Final rule
- Agency
- Justice Department
- Published
- May 2, 2025
- Takes effect
- May 2, 2025
- Dates
- This rule is effective on May 2, 2025.
- Docket
- Docket No. OAG193; AG Order No. 6251-2025
- Code of Federal Regulations
- 28 CFR 50
- Topics
- Administrative practice and procedure; Crime; Search warrants
- Pages
- 5
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Everything from the Justice Department · Rules on administrative practice and procedure · Rules on crime · Published in May 2025
Read from the Federal Register API, last updated 2026-10-23. The document on federalregister.gov is the official record; dates and dockets can change through later corrections. Free to reuse with credit to SpecStream under CC BY 4.0.