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.”
Solid post, the structure is easy to follow and the language stays simple even when the topic gets a bit more involved, and a look at cobaltcellar kept that same standard going, so I left feeling like the time spent here was actually worth something for once which is rare lately.
mostbet link de rezerva mostbet link de rezerva
мостбет фриспины за регистрацию мостбет фриспины за регистрацию
купон 1win купон 1win
Good post, the kind that respects the reader by getting to the point quickly without skipping the details that matter, and a short look at creativechoicehub confirmed that approach is consistent across the site which is rare to find online these days, definitely a place I will return to soon.
mostbet приложение для ios https://mostbet93268.help/
Honest take is that this was better than I expected when I clicked through, and a look at moderncollectorsmarket reinforced that, the bar for online content has dropped so much that finding something thoughtful and well constructed feels almost noteworthy now which says more about the average than about this site itself.
mostbet Azərbaycan bloklamanı keçmək http://mostbet63875.help/
Easy to recommend without reservations, the site delivers on every promise it implicitly makes, and a look at micapact kept that same standard going, the kind of consistency that earns trust over time rather than chasing it through aggressive marketing is what I see here and it is appreciated greatly by this particular reader today.
Appreciate how nothing here feels copied or pieced together from other places, the voice is consistent and the tone stays human, and after I checked bluestonerevival I noticed the same style holds, which is a small detail but it makes the whole experience feel personal rather than like another generic site.
Honestly this was a good read, no jargon and no padding, and a short look at knackaltar 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.
Reading this confirmed that my time researching the topic in other places had not been wasted, and a stop at mountainbloomshop extended the confirmation, when independent sources agree that is a useful signal and this site is one of the more reliable sources I have found for cross checking what I read elsewhere on similar subjects.
Worth pointing out that the post avoided the temptation to summarise everything at the end, and a look at northdawn continued that confident closing approach, content that trusts readers to retain the substance without being reminded of it at the end is content that respects the reader and this site practices that respect.
Really appreciate the lack of pop ups, modals, cookie banners stacking on top of each other, and a quick visit to primfactor confirmed the same clean approach across the rest of the site, technical decisions about user experience are part of what makes content actually pleasant to engage with for sure.
I really like how the writer keeps the tone friendly without sounding fake or overly polished, and after a stop at slowlivingessentials 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.
Thanks for the breakdown, it gave me a clearer picture of something I had been confused about for a while now, and a stop at findyourdirection closed the remaining gaps in my understanding nicely, no need to hunt around twenty other articles to put the pieces together which is a real time saver.
If the topic interests you at all this is a place to spend time, and a look at urbanwildgrove 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.
Came here from another site and ended up exploring much further than I planned, and a look at wildtreasurestore only encouraged more exploration, the kind of place where one click leads to another not through manipulative design but through genuinely interesting content is rare and worth highlighting when found like this somewhere on the open internet.
Worth observing that the post landed without needing a flashy headline to hook attention, and a stop at edgecommune did the same, content that earns engagement through substance rather than packaging is the kind I trust more deeply and this site has clearly chosen substance as the primary lever for reader engagement throughout.
Top tier post, the kind that makes you want to share the link with friends working in the same area, and a stop at globalfashioncorner only made me more confident in doing that, this site is one of the better resources I have seen on the topic recently across both new and older posts.
Solid quality, the kind of work that holds up to a careful read rather than a quick skim, and a quick look at goldfielddesigns kept that standard going strong, content that rewards attention rather than punishing it is something I appreciate more and more these days online across nearly every topic I follow.
Came in tired from a long day and the writing held my attention anyway, and a stop at draftglade kept that going, content that can engage a fatigued reader is doing something right because most online reading happens in suboptimal conditions like that one and quality content adapts to it without complaint.
A small thank you note from me to the team behind this work, the post earned it, and a stop at trendypickshub suggested more thanks would be in order over time, recognising the people who do good writing online is something I try to remember to do because the alternative is silence and silence rewards mediocrity unfortunately.
Felt energised after reading rather than drained, which is unusual for online content these days, and a look at peacefulforestshop 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.
Solid endorsement from me, the writing earns it, and a look at findyourstylehub continues to earn it across the broader site too, the kind of operation that maintains quality across many pages rather than just one viral post is a sign of serious commitment and that is what I see here clearly across what I read.
Honestly the simplicity of the explanation made the topic click for me in a way other writeups had not, and a look at mountainsageemporium continued that clarity into related areas, when a writer gets the level of explanation right the reader does the heavy lifting themselves and the post just enables it.
Really appreciate the absence of stock photos that have nothing to do with the content, and a quick visit to grovefarm maintained the same restraint, visual filler is a tell that the writing cannot stand on its own and the lack of it here suggests the team has confidence in their content quality alone.
Most blog writing on this subject reaches for the same handful of arguments and this post avoided them, and a look at simpletrendstore continued the original treatment, content that finds its own path through territory other writers have flattened is content with real authorial energy and this site has plenty of that distinctive energy.
Honest opinion is that this is the kind of post that builds long term trust with readers, and a look at flickpassage reinforced that perception, the slow accumulation of trust through consistent quality is the only sustainable way to build a real audience and this site is clearly playing that long game.
Really grateful for content like this, it does not waste my time and it does not insult my intelligence either, and a quick look at lobbyblossom was the same, balanced respectful writing that makes a person feel welcome rather than rushed through pages of forced engagement just to keep clicking around.
A small thank you note from me to the team behind this work, the post earned it, and a stop at freshsagecorner suggested more thanks would be in order over time, recognising the people who do good writing online is something I try to remember to do because the alternative is silence and silence rewards mediocrity unfortunately.
Polished and informative without feeling overproduced, that is the sweet spot, and a look at pinehillstudio 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.
Decent post that improved my afternoon a small amount, and a look at softskycorners added a bit more to that, sometimes the small wins online add up over time and a useful site like this one is the kind of place that contributes consistently to those small wins for me lately across many different topics I follow.
Top quality material, deserves more attention than it probably gets, and a look at mintdawn reflected the same effort across the site, a hidden gem in the modern web where most attention goes to whoever shouts loudest rather than whoever actually delivers the best content for their readers without much marketing fanfare.
A piece that suggested careful editing without showing the marks of the editing, and a look at knackdome continued that invisible polish, the best editing disappears into the prose and this site reads as having been edited with skill that does not announce itself which is the highest compliment I can offer any blog content.
Picked this up while looking for something else and ended up reading every paragraph because it was actually informative, and after authenticglobalfinds I was sure I would come back, that does not happen often when most sites bury the useful parts under endless ads and pop ups today and across most categories online.
Such writing is increasingly rare and worth supporting through attention, and a stop at softsummershoppe extended that supportive attention across more pages, the conscious choice to spend time on sites that produce careful work rather than convenient consumption is itself a small form of patronage and this site is receiving that conscious patronage from me.
1win_MD http://1win5755.help
Started forming counter examples to test the claims and the post handled most of them implicitly, and a look at classystyleoutlet continued that anticipatory style, writers who think two steps ahead of the critical reader save themselves from a lot of follow up work and this writer has clearly internalised that habit consistently.
A genuine pleasure to find a site that publishes at a sustainable cadence rather than chasing the daily content treadmill, and a look at quillgarden confirmed the careful publication rhythm, sites that prioritise quality over frequency are rare and this one has clearly chosen the slower pace which I appreciate as a reader.
In the middle of an otherwise scattered day this post landed as a moment of focus, and a stop at edgecradle extended that focused feeling across more pages, content that anchors a fragmented day rather than contributing to the fragmentation is content with real centring effect and this site is providing that anchoring function for me.
aviator से विड्रॉ कैसे करें aviator से विड्रॉ कैसे करें
мостбет ҳамён http://www.mostbet13748.help
Even from a single post the editorial care is clear, and a stop at urbanpasturestore extended that care across more pages, the kind of attention to quality that shows up in every paragraph is what separates serious sites from the rest and this one has clearly invested in that paragraph level attention across what I have read.
Skipped the TLDR thinking I would read everything anyway, and ended up enjoying the path through the full post, and a stop at draftlake similarly rewarded the patient read, summaries are useful but the journey through good writing is part of what makes the destination feel earned rather than just delivered cleanly.
Liked that the post landed without needing to manufacture controversy or take a contrarian stance for attention, and a stop at fashionseasonhub continued that grounded approach, content that earns attention through quality rather than provocation is the kind that builds long term trust rather than burning it on quick wins.
mostbet platforma mostbet platforma
Skipped breakfast still reading this and finished hungry but satisfied, and a stop at growwithpurpose kept me past breakfast time, content that displaces basic biological needs is content with serious attentional pull and the writers here are clearly capable of producing that level of engagement which is genuinely impressive these days.
Came across this looking for something else entirely and ended up reading it through twice, and a look at trendspotmarket pulled me deeper into the site than I planned, the writing has a way of holding attention without resorting to manipulative cliffhangers or vague promises that never get delivered later down the page.
Appreciated how the writer anticipated the questions a reader might have along the way, and a stop at grovepassage continued that thoughtful approach, you can tell when content has been edited with the reader in mind versus just published as a first draft and this is clearly the former approach across what I read.