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.”

19,943 Comments

  1. Felt this in a way I cannot quite explain, the topic just hit different here, and a stop at yaveroline 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.

  2. Just wanted to drop a quick note saying this was a useful read on a topic I have been circling, no fluff, and a stop at ForumInvestMali added a few extra points that fit the same simple style which makes the whole site feel coherent rather than thrown together by many different writers with different goals.

  3. Solid value packed into a relatively short post, that takes skill, and a look at wolfsmethanepromise continues the dense useful content across more pages, this site clearly understands that respecting reader time is itself a form of generosity which is something most blog operations seem to have forgotten lately across the wider open web.

  4. Started reading and ended an hour later without realising the time had passed, and a look at vexarounity produced the same time dilation effect, when content makes time feel different the writer has achieved something well beyond the average and this site is producing that experience for me reliably across multiple readings.

  5. My friends would appreciate a few of these posts and I will be sending links accordingly, and a look at xaliroline added more pages to my share queue, content that earns shares to specific people in specific contexts is content with social utility and this site is generating those targeted shares from me consistently lately.

  6. Now realising the post has been quietly doing important work in my mind for the past hour, and a stop at pgmbconsultancy extended that quiet processing, content that continues to do work after I close the tab is content with afterlife in the mind and this site is producing those long lived effects at a meaningful rate.

  7. Excellent execution from start to finish, the post never loses its rhythm and the points stay sharp, and a quick stop at torivoline kept the same level going, consistency like this across a site is the marker of a serious operation rather than a casual side project running on autopilot somewhere else.

  8. Запойное состояние характеризуется не только физической, но и тяжелой психической зависимостью, когда человек уже не способен самостоятельно отказаться от алкоголя. Регулярное поступление этанола провоцирует глубокое нарушение обменных процессов и критическое обезвоживание. В подобной ситуации срочный вызов нарколога становится единственно верным решением, позволяющим предотвратить развитие необратимых последствий. Инфузионное введение лекарственных растворов восстанавливает объем циркулирующей крови и нормализует деятельность мозга, сердца и выделительных органов. Если ваш близкий говорит, что ему плохо и он чувствует общую слабость, не ждите ухудшения — заказать обратный звонок и вызвать врача можно прямо сейчас, даже в период праздников. В нашей клинике также можно получить консультацию нарколога и записаться на кодирование от алкоголизма.
    Изучить вопрос глубже – капельница от запоя нарколог

  9. Now feeling the small relief of finding writing that does not condescend, and a stop at cavarotrustco extended that respect for readers, content that treats its audience as capable adults rather than as people to be managed produces a different reading experience and this site has clearly chosen the respectful approach across all pieces.

  10. A relief to read something where I did not have to fact check every claim mentally, and a look at SpikeIsland2020 continued that reliable feeling, sites where I can lower my guard and trust the content are rare and this one is earning that trust paragraph by paragraph through consistent careful work behind the scenes.

  11. Glad the writer did not feel compelled to cover every possible angle of the topic, focus is a virtue, and a stop at kaviontrustee reflected the same disciplined scope, knowing what to leave out is half of what makes good writing good and this post has clearly been edited with that principle in mind.

  12. Refreshing to find writing that does not try to manipulate the reader into clicking onto the next page through cliffhangers and forced engagement, and a stop at GetBranDalIsm continued in the same respectful way, this is what reader first design actually looks like in practice rather than just in marketing copy that sounds nice.

  13. Just want to say thank you for putting this together, posts like these make searching online actually worth it sometimes, and a quick look at pelixoline kept that going, useful and easy to read without any of the tricks that ruin most blog comment sections lately on the wider open web.

  14. Врач учитывает симптомы, риски, анамнез и семейную ситуацию, чтобы предложить подходящую программу.
    Получить больше информации – https://narkolog-na-dom-v-lyubercah14.ru

  15. Now appreciating that I did not feel exhausted after reading, and a stop at dankglassonline extended that energising quality, content that leaves me with more attention than it consumed is rare and the gap between draining and energising content is real over the course of a typical day spent reading widely online.

  16. Took something from this I did not expect to find, and a stop at xelarionix 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.

  17. Picked a friend mentally as the audience for this and decided to send the link, and a look at Paws21AirbrushStudio confirmed the send was the right choice, choosing whom to share content with is a small act of curation that I take more seriously than the public sharing most platforms encourage these days online.

  18. Generally I do not leave comments but this post merits a small note, and a stop at customthepc extended that comment worthy quality, the urge to actively contribute to a sites community rather than passively consume from it is something specific content provokes and this site has provoked that engagement urge from me today.

  19. Наркологическая клиника принимает больного анонимно, круглосуточно и в комфортных условиях. Персонал соблюдает политику конфиденциальности, данные пациента защищены, а оформление услуги не требует постановки на учет. Врач нарколог проводит прием, объясняет стоимость, отвечает на вопросы родственников, оценивает тяжесть состояния и подбирает индивидуальный курс лечения с учетом возраста, стажа употребления спиртного, количества выпитого, состояния психического здоровья и наличия патологий сердца, печени, сосудистой системы или головного мозга.
    Узнать больше – вывод из запоя в стационаре москвы

  20. Compared to the usual results for this kind of search this site stands well above the average, and a quick visit to korivocapital kept the standard high, you can tell within seconds whether a site is going to waste your time or actually deliver and this one clearly delivers without any false starts.

  21. I really like how the writer keeps the tone friendly without sounding fake or overly polished, and after a stop at korivoline the same calm pace was there, no rushing to make a point and no padding either, just clean honest writing that I can respect and come back to later again.

  22. A welcome reminder that thoughtful writing still happens online, and a look at centensports extended that reassurance, the modern web makes it easy to forget that careful writing exists and finding sites that practice it is a small antidote to the cynicism that builds up from too much exposure to algorithmic content.

  23. Took longer than expected to finish because I kept stopping to think, and a stop at otistaylorjr did the same to me, content that provokes thought rather than just delivering information is in a different category and the team here is clearly working at that higher level rather than just cranking out posts.

  24. The post made the topic feel approachable without making it feel trivial, that is a fine balance, and a stop at modernshoppingecosystem maintained the same balance, finding the middle ground between welcoming and serious is genuinely difficult and the writers here have clearly figured out how to consistently hit it well across many different posts.

  25. Liked everything about the experience, from the opening through to the closing notes, and a stop at ukrainianvictoryisthebestaward extended that into more pages, finding a site where the editorial vision shows through every choice rather than feeling random is an increasingly rare experience and one I am glad to have today during this particular reading session.

  26. Good quality through and through, no rough edges and no signs of being rushed, and a quick look at decordock kept the same polish going, the kind of site that respects its own brand by maintaining consistency across pages which is something I always appreciate as a reader looking for trustworthy information online today.

  27. Will be coming back to this for sure, too much good content to absorb in one sitting, and a stop at corecompanynyc only added more pages I want to dig through, this site is going onto my regular rotation list because it consistently delivers something worth the visit lately rather than empty filler.

  28. Following a few of the internal links revealed more posts of similar quality, and a stop at goldmetalshop added more to that growing pile, sites where internal links lead to more good content rather than to more of the same recycled material are sites with depth and this one has clearly built that depth carefully.

  29. Now appreciating that the post did not require external context to follow, and a look at suzgilliessmith maintained the same self contained quality, content that respects new visitors by being readable without prerequisites is content with broader accessibility and this site has clearly invested in keeping each piece reader friendly for fresh arrivals.

  30. Now thinking about how to apply some of this to a project I have been planning, and a look at ouretiquette added more material for the planning, content that connects to my actual creative work rather than just being interesting in the abstract is the kind that earns priority placement in my reading rotation consistently going forward.

  31. Thank you for being clear and direct, that simple approach saves so much frustration on the reader’s end, and a stop at conorjmurphy only made me more sure of it, the rest of the content seems to follow the same pattern which is a great sign of consistent editorial care behind the scenes.

  32. Ya llevo como cinco meses con 888starz y sinceramente tenia dudas al principio, ya que aqui en Espana uno se cansa de sitios que se caen cada dos por tres. Abrir la cuenta fue cosa de tres minutos, correo y contrasena y ya esta, y el deposito minimo esta en unos pocos euros, cosa que agradezco para tantear.

    De tragaperras tienen un catalogo enorme — andan por 8.000 juegos de proveedores como Pragmatic Play, NetEnt, Play’n GO, Betsoft y Yggdrasil. Yo me quedo en Sweet Bonanza y Book of Dead, si bien tambien le he dado a los Megaways. Lo que si el buscador va un poco lento cuando hay tantisimo.

    El casino en directo es de Evolution, basicamente y se nota la diferencia: blackjack con gente real, Crazy Time para el que le guste el show. El paquete de bienvenida ronda el 100% con 150 tiradas, con un rollover de x40, que no es regalado pero tampoco un robo. Tambien hay alguna promo sin deposito, yo miraria los terminos actualizados directamente en 888starz login download antes de meter dinero.

    El tema de sacar pasta me ha ido mejor de lo que pensaba. Cobre la semana pasada por Skrill y lo tuve en 40 minutos. Con tarjeta se va a dos o tres dias, eso ya es cosa del banco. Van con Neteller, Bitcoin y USDT que es lo mas rapido con diferencia.

    Desde el movil funciona bien, la app de Android existe pero yo uso el navegador y me sobra. La atencion al cliente responde en espanol, no fue instantaneo pero tampoco eterno cuando pregunte por el KYC. La licencia es de Curazao, asi que no es un.es regulado y conviene tenerlo claro. Yo sigo ahi, con sus cosas, y sin volverse loco con los bonos.

Leave a Reply

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