Restrictions on U.S. Military Newspaper Signal First Amendment Danger for All Media

Pete Hegseth has banned photographers from Pentagon briefings after “unflattering” photos were published earlier this month

This week the Pentagon disinvited the military’s Star & Stripes publication from attending Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s press conference. That may seem like a minor matter as President Donald Trump and Hegseth have issued broad warnings to the U.S. media about what they characterize as “unpatriotic” coverage of the war in Iran. But it signals a turning point for the newspaper, which has been continuously reporting on military matters since World War II.

The move comes after the Pentagon issued a memo to Stars and Stripes in January outlining new restrictions on content in the newspaper, including a requirement to abide by “good order and discipline.” The newspaper is also expected to “modernize its operations” and “refocus its content away from woke distractions that siphon morale.”

“The Pentagon blackballed its own newspaper from covering its own press conference?” wrote Kevin Baron, a Stars & Stripes reporter. “Reminder, Stars & Stripes employees are US Army civilians. Their editorial independence is protected by Congress specifically to prevent political leaders from feeding troops propaganda.”

The censorship of Stars & Stripes follows the Pentagon’s October 2025 issuance of a new policy for all media. Credentialed outlets must agree to a policy that states reporters cannot gather or publish information from the Pentagon that is not specifically authorized, including declassified information and off-the-record conversations.

Most media outlets refused to sign the agreement, leading to ABC News, CBS News, CNN, NBC News, Fox News, the Associated Press, New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal and countless other outlets losing their Pentagon press credentials.

As media outlets continue to cover the escalating war in the Middle East, Hegseth has bemoaned much of the coverage as “fake news,” taking particular aim at CNN last week. “Fake news from CNN reports that the Trump administration underestimated the Iran war’s impact on the Strait of Hormuz,” he said during a press conference. “Patently ridiculous, of course. For decades, Iran has threatened shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. This is always what they do, hold the strait hostage. CNN doesn’t think we thought of that. It’s a fundamentally unserious report. The sooner David Ellison takes over that network, the better.”

Hegseth is referring to the billionaire chairman and CEO of Paramount Skydance’s buyout of Warner Bros. Discovery, CNN’s parent company, in a $111 billion deal. The deal has been the subject of lawsuits and controversy alleging Ellison’s father Larry Ellison, Oracle founder and one of the richest people in the world, and Trump had finessed the deal away from Netflix.

Even Fox News thinks the media is under fire, referencing Hegseth’s characterization of journalists as “unpatriotic” and “anti-Trump” as they ask questions about the war in Iran. Trump, meanwhile, praised FCC Chairman Brendan Carr’s warning about media outlets “correcting course” on their war coverage.

“Broadcasters that are running hoaxes and news distortions – also known as the fake news – have a chance now to correct course before their license renewals come up,” wrote Carr in a post on X. “The law is clear. Broadcasters must operate in the public interest, and they will lose their licenses if they do not.”

Meanwhile the families of U.S. military members killed in Iran have spoken out against claims from Hegseth that bereaved families urged him to “finish” the job in the Middle East. Hegseth told reporters yesterday that he had spoken with the families of all six service members killed in a refueling tanker crash last week.

“What I heard through tears, through hugs, through strength and through unbreakable resolve, was the same from family after family,” said Hegseth. “They said, ‘Finish this. Honor their sacrifice. Do not waver. Do not stop until the job is done.”

Charles Simmons, father of Ohio Tech Sgt. Tyler Simmons, 28, who was killed in the crash, denied discussing that with Hegseth. “I can’t speak for the other families,” Simmons told NBC News. “When he spoke to me, that was not something we talked about. I didn’t say anything along those lines.”

Stephan Douglas, cousin of Tyler Simmons, one of the three Ohioans killed in the crash, said the conflict was unnecessary in a weekend interview with Columbus news station WCMH. “This could have been prevented,” said Douglas. “We didn’t need to be in this war. This is uncalled for, and this is what we get.”

“Families are suffering right now,” said Bernice Smith, Simmons’ grandmother. “Just to create a war because you want to create a war is not right.”

21,734 Comments

  1. Excellent post, balanced and well organised without showing off, and a stop at dgeg continued in that same vein, this site has clearly figured out the formula for content that works for readers rather than for search engine ranking signals which is harder than it sounds today and worth real recognition from anyone.

  2. Felt energised after reading rather than drained, which is unusual for online content these days, and a look at ufobet88 continued that good feeling, content that leaves you better than it found you is rare and worth bookmarking when you stumble across it for the first time today or any other day really.

  3. The pacing of the post was just right, never rushed and never dragged out unnecessarily, and a look at americahtml maintained the same rhythm, you can tell the writer has experience because the difficult skill of pacing is something only practiced writers manage to handle well in long form content over time and across formats.

  4. Strong recommendation from me, anyone curious about the topic should make time for this, and a look at airmailsa only sharpens that recommendation further, the kind of resource that holds up against careful scrutiny rather than crumbling at the first critical question is rare and worth pointing other people toward when the topic comes up.

  5. More original than the recycled takes I keep finding on the topic elsewhere, and a quick look at wbsaoabb confirmed it, the kind of site that has its own voice rather than echoing whatever is trending which makes it stand out as a refreshing change from the usual rotation of generic content I see daily.

  6. Reading the writers other posts after this one suggests the quality is consistent rather than peak, and a stop at coyotederby confirmed the consistent quality reading, sites that hold the same level across many pieces rather than peaking on a few are sites with sustainable editorial discipline and this one has clearly developed that.

  7. The use of plain language without dumbing down the topic was really well done, and a look at balconesa continued in that same accessible style, this is something many technical writers fail at because they either confuse their readers or condescend to them but here neither problem appears at all which is impressive really.

  8. Reading this gave me a quiet moment of intellectual pleasure that I had not been expecting, and a stop at collothuna extended that pleasure across more pages, the unexpected reward of stumbling into careful writing is one of the small ongoing pleasures of reading the open web and this site is delivering it reliably.

  9. Bookmark folder created specifically for this site, and a look at 2hays confirmed the dedicated folder was the right call, dedicated folders for individual sites are a level of organisation I rarely deploy and this site has earned that level of dedicated tracking based on the consistency I have seen so far across sessions.

  10. Bookmark moved to my permanent reference folder rather than the casual maybe later folder, and a look at appliquea earned the same upgrade, the distinction between casual interest and lasting reference is something I track carefully and very few sites cross that threshold but this one did so without much effort apparently.

  11. Generally my attention drifts on long posts but this one held it through the end, and a stop at velegele earned the same sustained focus, content that defeats my drift tendency is content with substantive pulling power and this site has demonstrated that pulling power across multiple pieces in a session that has now run quite long actually.

  12. Picked up several practical tips that I plan to try out this week, and a look at haloku69 added a few more I will be testing alongside, content with practical hooks that connect to my actual life is the kind that earns my repeat attention rather than the merely interesting that I forget within a day.

  13. Glad to find something on this topic that does not start with three paragraphs of throat clearing before getting to the point, and a stop at agammaglobulinemiaa also dives right in, respect for the readers time shows up in small editorial choices like this and they add up to a real difference quickly.

  14. Even across multiple posts the writers voice has remained consistent in a way I appreciate, and a stop at heronfjord continued that voice, sites that maintain editorial consistency across many pieces have something most sites lack and this one has clearly worked out how to keep its voice steady across what reads as a growing archive.

  15. Picked this for my morning read because the topic seemed worth the time, and a look at airtighta confirmed the choice was right, my morning reading slot is precious and giving it to this site felt like a good investment rather than a waste which is a higher endorsement than I usually offer for content.

  16. Felt this in a way I cannot quite explain, the topic just hit different here, and a stop at computermonth continued in that vein, sometimes you find a site whose perspective lines up with how you have been thinking and reading their work feels like a small relief which I appreciated more than I expected.

  17. Took something from this I did not expect to find, and a stop at bevelbison added another unexpected useful piece, content that exceeds expectations rather than just meeting them is the kind that builds enthusiasm and earns repeat visits without any explicit ask from the writer or platform behind the work being read.

  18. Liked that the post acknowledged complications rather than pretending they did not exist, and a stop at apiculatea continued that honest framing, sites that handle complexity with care rather than papering it over with simplifying claims are doing real intellectual work and this one is clearly in that category based on what I have read.

  19. If I were to recommend a starting point for the topic this site would be near the top of my list, and a stop at wigkogmwuq reinforced that recommendation status, the small list of starting point recommendations I keep for friends asking about topics is short and this site is now firmly on it.

  20. Genuinely changed how I think about a small piece of the topic, which does not happen often online, and a look at arthemisa added another nudge in the same direction, the kind of writing that earns a small mental shift rather than just confirming what you already thought before reading is a sign of careful thought.

  21. If the topic interests you at all this is a place to spend time, and a look at pncdhs reinforced that recommendation, the broader question of where to invest topical reading time is one this site answers convincingly through the consistent quality across multiple pieces I have sampled during the current reading session today.

  22. Now recognising that the post handled the topic with appropriate technical precision without becoming dry, and a stop at awwp9k continued that balance, technical precision and readability are often in tension and this site has clearly figured out how to maintain both at once which is one of the harder editorial achievements in the form.

  23. Took the time to read every paragraph rather than skimming for the punchline, and a quick visit to nandh earned the same careful attention from me, that is the highest signal I can give about content quality because my default mode is rapid scanning rather than deliberate reading on most pages.

  24. Честно, задолбался искать нормальный вариант — где условия адекватные, а не грабёж для перевода денег за границу онлайн. В одном обсуждении попался дельный совет: денежные переводы за границу денежные переводы за границу Короче, если по факту — не все способы одинаково прозрачны. Потому что любой перевод за границу онлайн — это постоянный риск переплатить. И да, кстати — перед финальным подтверждением обязательно сверьте итоговую сумму. В противном случае легко попасть на лишние траты. Короче — не ленитесь проверять информацию перед любой отправкой.

  25. Really clear writing, the kind that makes you want to share the link with someone who has been asking about the topic, and a quick browse through allqyio only made me more sure of that, the information here stays useful long after the first read is done which says a lot.

  26. Picked up several practical tips that I plan to try out this week, and a look at actionactivation added a few more I will be testing alongside, content with practical hooks that connect to my actual life is the kind that earns my repeat attention rather than the merely interesting that I forget within a day.

  27. Easy to recommend, the content speaks for itself without needing additional praise from me, and a stop at hsjylsl4 only adds more reasons to send people this way, the kind of generous resource that benefits its readers without demanding anything in return is increasingly rare and worth recognising clearly today across the broader open internet.

  28. If I had to summarise the editorial sensibility of this site in a few words it would be careful and human, and a look at coyotehopper extended that summary feeling, capturing the essence of a sites approach in brief is hard but this site has a clear enough identity that the summary comes naturally enough.

  29. Thanks for putting in the work to make this approachable, plenty of sites cover the same ground but most do it badly, and a quick visit to kpsce confirmed this one stands apart, simple language and useful examples without anyone trying to sell me anything along the way which I really appreciated.

  30. Polished and informative without feeling overproduced, that is the sweet spot, and a look at administrativea hit it again, you can tell when a site has been built with care versus thrown together for the sake of having something to put online and this is clearly the former approach taken by the team.

  31. Granted I am giving this site more credit than I usually give new finds, and a look at nabyteknachalupu continued earning that credit, the calibration of how much trust to extend after limited exposure is something I do carefully and this site has earned more trust on shorter exposure than most due to consistent quality across.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *