The Publishing

The First Article

On June 13, 1971, the New York Times published its first article containing information leaked from the Pentagon Papers.

At first, Nixon did not address the Pentagon Papers as they concerned the Johnson and Kennedy administrations.

June 13, 1971, The New York Times

The Second Article

June 14, 1971, The New York Times

The following day (June 14, 1971), the Times published their second article containing more information from the leak. However, this time, Nixon wanted to halt publications because of the potential consequence of public outrage, which would discredit the government, place the country in a precarious situation, and harm their unity. More importantly, it would have undermined Nixon’s position as President.

Richard Nixon on Ellsberg, "Nixon Tapes"

Prior Restraint

The district court created a prior restraint, a judicial barrier that halted further publications of the Times’ series and acted as a buffer for the government to develop their case. Driving this action was the belief that the publications endangered national security and morale in times of war.

Other Newspapers Join

Following the publication of the articles, other publishers followed suit, reporting about the Pentagon Papers. Facing extreme risks and legal issues, the companies disregarded their relations as competitors and cooperated to preserve the First Amendment.

June 22, 1971, Boston Globe

June 18, 1971, Washington Post

June 14,1971, San Francisco Chronicle

Public Reaction

The minority in 1971 who supported the war felt the government’s dishonesty and secrecy betrayed them, and the grievances of the pro-withdrawal majority worsened. This sparked national outrage, as a massive credibility gap emerged between the citizens and the government.