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.”

9,230 Comments

  1. Great work on keeping things readable, the post never drags or repeats itself which I really appreciate, and a stop at smartdealhouse added a bit more context that fit naturally with what was already said here, no need to read everything twice to get the point being made today.

  2. Bookmark folder reorganised slightly to make this site easier to find, and a look at fasttrendhub earned the same accessibility upgrade, the small organisational moves I make for sites I expect to return to often are themselves a signal of how much I trust them and this site triggered those moves naturally.

  3. Betting on lesser-known MMA circuits offers a scenario where you can genuinely catch the bookmakers completely negligent, and LFA 234 taking place in Sao Paulo is likewise a prime example.

  4. Closed it feeling I had taken something away rather than just consumed something, and a stop at premiumdealcorner extended that taking away feeling, the difference between content I extract value from and content I just pass through is something I track informally and this site is consistently in the value extraction column for me.

  5. The use of plain language without dumbing down the topic was really well done, and a look at discoverbettervalue 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.

  6. If you scroll past this site without looking carefully you will miss something, and a stop at startfreshnow extended that mild warning, the surface of the site does not advertise its quality loudly which means careful attention is required to recognise what is being offered here which is itself a kind of editorial signal.

  7. Over the course of reading several posts here a pattern of quality has emerged, and a stop at globalfashionworld confirmed the pattern, the difference between sites that hit quality occasionally and sites that hit it consistently is huge and this site has clearly demonstrated the consistent kind through what I have read this morning.

  8. Picked a friend mentally as the audience for this and decided to send the link, and a look at northernskycollections 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.

  9. Good quality through and through, no rough edges and no signs of being rushed, and a quick look at findgreatoffers 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.

  10. Time spent here today felt productive in the way that good reading sessions sometimes do, and a stop at supershelf extended that productive feeling across the rest of the morning, the difference between productive reading and merely passing time is real and this site is consistently on the productive side for me lately.

  11. Thanks for the simple approach, too many sites bury the actual point under layers of unnecessary words, but here every line earns its place, and a look at sparkswap showed the same care for the reader which is something I will remember the next time I need answers on a topic.

  12. Speaking as someone who used to recommend blogs frequently and got out of the habit this site is rekindling that impulse, and a look at pureharbortrends extended the rekindling, the recovery of an old habit triggered by encountering work that justifies it is itself a small kind of pleasure and this site is providing that recovery experience.

  13. Closed and reopened the tab three times before finally finishing, and a stop at blipfork held my attention straight through, sometimes content fights for time against my own distraction and the times it wins say something positive about its quality and this post clearly won that fight today afternoon for me.

  14. If you asked me to point to a recent positive sign for the open web this site would be near the top, and a stop at octajet reinforced that designation, the few sites that serve as evidence the web can still produce quality independent content are precious and this one has clearly become one for me.

  15. Liked that there was nothing performative about the writing, and a stop at macropipe continued that genuine quality, performative writing tries to be witnessed rather than read and the difference between performance and substance is huge for the careful reader and this site has clearly chosen substance every time clearly.

  16. Reading this site over the past week has changed how I evaluate content in this space, and a look at driftwoodvalleygoods extended that recalibration, the standards I bring to reading on the topic have shifted upward as a direct result of regular exposure to this kind of work and that shift will outlast any single reading session.

  17. Closed it feeling slightly more competent in the topic than I started, and a stop at fizzstep reinforced that competence boost, real learning is rare in casual online reading but it does happen sometimes and this site managed to make it happen for me today which is genuinely worth pausing to acknowledge.

  18. Honest assessment is that this is one of the better short reads I have had this week, and a look at boltdepot reinforced that, the bar for short content is low because most of it sacrifices substance for brevity but this site manages both at once which is harder than it sounds for most writers attempting it.

  19. Honestly this was a good read, no jargon and no padding, and a short look at woolperk kept that same feel going which I really appreciated, the writer clearly knows the topic well enough to explain it without hiding behind big words or filler that often gets used to seem clever.

  20. Glad I gave this fifteen minutes rather than the usual three minute skim, and a look at ohmsensor earned the same investment, time spent on quality content is rarely wasted but the reverse is also true and learning which sites deserve which kind of attention is part of being a careful online reader.

  21. Most of my reading time goes to a small number of trusted sources and this one is now joining that group, and a stop at dailyvaluecorner reinforced the group membership, the few sites that earn a place in my regular rotation are sites I expect ongoing returns from and this one has earned that elevated position consistently.

  22. My usual pattern is to skim and bounce but this site has reset that pattern temporarily, and a stop at fasttrendstation maintained the slower reading mode, content that changes how I read is content with structural influence and this site has clearly nudged my reading behaviour toward something better at least for the duration of these visits.

  23. Useful enough to recommend to several people I know who would appreciate it, and a stop at trustcorner added more material I will pass along too, the kind of writing that earns word of mouth is the kind that actually delivers on its promises which is what this site does without any drama or fanfare attached.

  24. Reading this in a quiet coffee shop matched the calm energy of the writing, and a stop at simplefashionmarket extended that environmental match, content that has its own ambient quality which can match or clash with surroundings is content with a personality and this site has the kind of personality that suits calm reading.

  25. Took a screenshot of one section to come back to later, and a stop at findyourtruepath prompted another saved tab, the urge to capture and revisit specific pieces of content is something I rarely feel but when I do it tells me the work is worth more than the average passing read for sure.

  26. Felt mildly happier after reading, which sounds silly but is true, and a look at yourstylestore extended that small mood lift, content that improves rather than degrades my mental state is content I want more of and the cumulative effect of reading sites that lift versus sites that drag is real over time.

  27. The tone stayed consistent across the whole post which is harder than it looks for longer pieces, and a look at smartpickcorner continued the same voice, this kind of editorial consistency is a sign of either a single careful writer or a tightly run team and either is impressive today across the broader media environment.

  28. Most of the time I feel the open web is in decline and then I find a site like this, and a stop at discoverandbuyhub reinforced that mood lift, the cumulative effect of finding occasional excellent independent content versus the cumulative effect of finding mostly mediocre content is real for the long term reader maintaining web habits today.

  29. Glad the writer kept this short rather than padding it out, the points stand on their own without needing extra context, and a look at mysticbaystore kept the same approach going, brevity is a sign of confidence in the substance and the team here clearly trusts their content to land without filler.

  30. Adding this site to my regular reading list, the post earned that on its own, and a quick stop at urbanridgecollective sealed the decision, the kind of place worth checking back with from time to time because it consistently produces material that holds up against a critical reading too which I really value.

  31. Bookmark added with a small mental note that this is a site to keep, and a look at octamesh reinforced the keep status, the verb keep rather than visit captures something about how I think about this kind of site and it is a higher tier of relationship than I have with most places online today.

  32. Granted my mood today might be elevating my reading experience but I still think this is genuinely good, and a stop at zestwin reinforced that even discounted assessment, controlling for the mood adjustment that affects content perception this site still reads as substantively above average across multiple pieces I have read carefully today.

  33. A particular pleasure to read this with a fresh coffee, and a look at duskharborstore extended the pleasure across more pages, content that pairs well with quiet morning rituals is something I have come to value highly and this site has the kind of energy that fits naturally into a calm reading routine.

  34. Strong recommendation, anyone interested in this topic owes themselves a visit, and a stop at fizzwave extends that recommendation across more of the site, this is the kind of resource that makes me more optimistic about the state of the open web than I usually am these days actually for once which is genuinely refreshing.

  35. Now thinking I want more sites built on this kind of editorial foundation, and a stop at trustparcel extended that wish into a broader hope, sites built on substance and care rather than on metrics and growth are the kind of sites I want to see more of and this one is a small example worth supporting.

  36. Now placing this in the same category as a few other sites I have come to trust, and a look at zendock continued the placement decision, the small category of fully trusted sites is one I extend rarely and only after multiple positive reading sessions and this site has earned the category placement methodically over time.

  37. If I am being honest this is the kind of site I quietly hope my own work will someday resemble, and a stop at creativegiftmarket extended that aspirational feeling, finding work that models what I want to produce is part of why I read carefully and this site has been performing that modelling function for me lately consistently.

  38. A piece that handled a controversial angle without becoming heated, and a look at ohmvault continued that calm engagement, content that can address contested topics without inflaming them is doing rare diplomatic work and this site has clearly developed the editorial maturity to handle sensitive material with the appropriate temperature of writing throughout.

  39. A thoughtful piece that did not strain to be thoughtful, and a look at cloudpetalmarket continued that effortless quality, when thinking shows up in writing without the writer drawing attention to it you know you are reading something genuinely considered rather than something performing the appearance of consideration which is also common online.

  40. Closed the tab feeling I had spent the time well, and a stop at premiumdealzone extended that feeling across more pages, the test of whether time on a site was well spent is one I apply silently after closing tabs and very few sites pass it but this one passed it cleanly today afternoon clearly.

  41. Closed my email tab so I could read this without interruption, and a stop at shopwithjoy earned the same protected attention, when content is good enough to defend against the usual digital distractions you know it deserves better than the half attention most online reading gets in a typical busy day.

  42. Worth pointing out that the writing reads as confident without being defensive about it, and a look at earthstoneboutique extended that secure tone, content that does not pre emptively argue against imagined critics has a different quality from defensive writing and this site reads as written from a place of real ease.

Leave a Reply

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