Final answer:
Classified documents require safeguarding sensitive information and comply with laws like FOIA, which allows limited public access. Under FOIA, requested documents can be redacted, and there are exemptions for national security. Press publication of classified materials is limited under legal precedents to prevent harm to national interests.
Step-by-step explanation:
For documents containing originally classified information, several requirements must be met to ensure national security and compliance with legal frameworks like the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). When a document is classified, its distribution is limited and safeguarded to protect sensitive information pertinent to national security, foreign policy, and other protected interests. Under FOIA and the government's classification system, not all documents are accessible to the public, and there are exemptions to this access for critical areas such as national defense, confidential sources, and privacy rights among others. If an entity receives a request for government documents under FOIA, those documents might be redacted to remove sensitive information before release. Moreover, classified material obtained by the press has restricted publishing rights where the government can intervene to prevent potential harm to national security or endangering covert operatives as settled in court cases like the landmark New York Times Co. v. United States.