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.”

Tweet
Share
Pin
Share
0 Shares

8,674 Comments

  1. Came in expecting another generic take and got something with actual character instead, and a look at mountainleafstudio carried that personality forward, finding a distinct voice on a saturated topic is impressive and worth pointing out when it happens because most sites end up sounding identical to their nearest competitors quickly.

  2. A piece that ended with a clean landing rather than fading out, and a look at forgecabin maintained the same crisp conclusions, endings that resolve rather than dissolve are a sign of careful structural thinking and this site has clearly invested in how its pieces conclude rather than letting them simply run out of energy.

  3. Reading this in the time it took to drink half a cup of coffee, and a stop at silverleafemporium fit naturally into the second half, content that respects the rhythms of a typical morning is content with practical fit and this site has the kind of length and pacing that works for the way I actually read.

  5. One of the more thoughtful posts I have read recently on this topic, and a stop at lunarpeakoutlet added even more weight to that impression, this is genuinely good content that holds its own against far better known sites in the same space without trying to imitate any of them at all which I appreciate.

  8. Reading this slowly because the writing rewards a slower pace, and a stop at lunacourt did the same, the pace at which I read content is something I now use as a quality signal and writing that earns a slower pace earns my attention as a reader looking for substance these days.

  9. A piece that read as the work of someone who reads carefully themselves, and a look at eliteledge continued that informed feel, writers who are also serious readers produce work with a different quality and this site reads as the product of someone steeped in good writing rather than just generating content for an audience.

  10. A piece that earned its conclusions through the body rather than asserting them at the end, and a look at lacecloister maintained the same earned quality, conclusions that follow from what came before are more persuasive than declarations and this site has clearly internalised that principle in how it constructs arguments throughout pieces.

  11. Came back to this an hour later to reread a specific section, and a quick visit to hillessence also drew a second look, content that pulls you back rather than letting you move on permanently is the kind I want to fill my browser bookmarks with in 2026 and beyond as the open internet evolves.

  12. A particular pleasure to read this with a fresh coffee, and a look at brightcollectionhub 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.

  13. On reflection this is the kind of writing that improves my taste for what is possible in the format, and a look at findhappinessdaily continued raising that bar, content that elevates my expectations rather than lowering them is doing important work in calibrating my standards and this site is participating in that elevation reliably.

  14. A piece that handled multiple complications without becoming confused, and a look at musebeat continued that organisational clarity, holding multiple threads in a single piece without losing any of them is a sign of skilled writing and this site has clearly developed the editorial discipline to manage complexity without sacrificing readability throughout.

  16. A modest masterpiece in its own quiet way, and a look at duetdrive confirmed the same quiet quality across the rest of the site, calling something a masterpiece is usually overstating but for content this carefully crafted the word feels appropriate even if the writers themselves would probably resist the label honestly.

  17. Honestly enjoyed reading this more than I expected to when I first clicked through, and a stop at irisbureau kept that pleasant surprise going, sometimes you stumble onto a site that just clicks with how you like to read and this is one of those for me right now today which is great.

  18. Reading this fit naturally into my afternoon walk because I was reading on my phone, and a stop at edendome continued well in that walking format, content that survives mobile reading without becoming awkward is content with format flexibility and this site has clearly thought about how it reads across different devices today.

  19. Probably worth setting aside a longer block to read more carefully than I can right now, and a stop at flareinlet confirmed the longer block plan, the impulse to schedule dedicated time for a sites archive is itself a measure of trust and this site has earned that scheduling impulse from me clearly today actually.

  20. Reading this slowly and letting each paragraph land before moving on, and a stop at ethicalcuratedgoods earned the same patient approach, content that rewards slow reading rather than speed is content with real density and the writers here are clearly producing work that benefits from the careful eye rather than the rushed scan.

  21. A clear case of writing that does not try to do too much in one post, and a look at fashionandstylehub maintained the same scoped discipline, posts that try to cover too much end up covering nothing well and this site has clearly chosen scope discipline as a core editorial principle which shows up clearly in what I read.

  22. Now feeling slightly more committed to my own careful reading practices having read this, and a stop at goldensavannashop reinforced that commitment, content that models the kind of attention it deserves is content that calibrates the reader and this site has clearly raised my own bar for what to bring to good writing today.

  23. Solid recommendation from me to anyone working in the area, the perspective here is grounded, and a look at brightwinterstore adds even more useful angles, the kind of site that becomes a reference rather than just a one time read which is a higher bar than most blogs ever reach today on the modern web.

  24. Looking at this objectively the editorial quality is hard to deny even setting aside personal taste, and a stop at mintdawn maintained the same objective quality, the gap between what I personally enjoy and what is objectively well crafted exists and this site clears both bars simultaneously which is rarer than it sounds.

  25. Stands out for actually being useful instead of just being long, and a look at goldstreamoutlet kept that going, length without value is the default mode of most blogs these days but this site has clearly chosen a different path which I respect a lot as a reader who values careful editing decisions like that.

  26. Time spent here today felt productive in the way that good reading sessions sometimes do, and a stop at forgeoutpost 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.

  27. Found the use of subheadings really helpful for scanning back through the post later, and a stop at glowingridgehub kept that reader friendly approach going, navigation is something many blog writers ignore but small structural choices make a noticeable difference for someone returning to find a specific point again days or weeks later.

  28. Now feeling the rare pleasure of trusting a source completely on first encounter, and a look at lyricessence extended that initial trust into something more durable, the calibration of trust to evidence is something I do informally and this site has earned high trust through the cumulative weight of multiple consistently good posts already.

  29. A piece that reads as if the writer trusted readers to fill in obvious gaps, and a look at epicestate continued that respectful approach, content that does not over explain what the reader can infer is content that respects intelligence and this site has clearly chosen to write to capable readers rather than to the lowest common denominator.

  31. Skipped the comments to avoid spoilers and came back later to find them genuinely worth reading, and a stop at brightoakcollective extended that surprised respect, when the discussion below a post matches the quality of the post itself you have found something special and this site appears to attract that kind of audience.

  34. Reading this gave me material for a conversation I needed to have anyway, and a stop at lacehelm added even more talking points, content that connects to upcoming social or professional needs rather than just being interesting in the abstract is the kind that earns priority placement in my attention these days routinely.

  35. Quietly enthusiastic about this site after the past few hours of reading, and a stop at premiumcuratedmarket extended that enthusiasm, the calibration of enthusiasm to evidence is something I try to maintain and this site has earned a calibrated quiet enthusiasm rather than the loud excitement that usually fades within a day or two of finding something.

  36. Now noticing how rare it is to find a site that does not feel rushed, and a look at groweverydaynow extended that calm pace, content produced without time pressure has a different quality than content shipped to meet a deadline and this site reads as written without urgency which produces a different and better experience for readers.

  40. Reading this in pieces over a coffee break and finding it consistently rewarding, and a stop at islemeadow extended that into related material I will return to later, the kind of site that fits naturally into small reading windows without requiring a long uninterrupted block is genuinely useful for how I actually browse.

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

  42. Reading this in the time it took to drink half a cup of coffee, and a stop at mythmanor fit naturally into the second half, content that respects the rhythms of a typical morning is content with practical fit and this site has the kind of length and pacing that works for the way I actually read.

  43. Worth pointing out that the writing reads as confident without being defensive about it, and a look at flarequill 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.

  44. Probably worth setting aside a longer block to read more carefully than I can right now, and a stop at duetparish confirmed the longer block plan, the impulse to schedule dedicated time for a sites archive is itself a measure of trust and this site has earned that scheduling impulse from me clearly today actually.

  45. Reading this on the train into work was a better use of the commute than my usual choices, and a stop at yourtimeisnow extended that commute reading well, content that improves transit time rather than just filling it is content with practical benefit and this site has earned its place in my morning commute reading rotation.

  46. Glad I gave this a chance instead of bouncing on the headline, and after timberharborfinds I was certain I had made the right call, snap judgements based on titles miss a lot of good content and this is a reminder to slow down and check things out before scrolling past in a hurry.

  47. Worth saying that the writing carries a particular kind of authority without making any explicit claims to it, and a stop at suncrestmodern extended that earned authority feeling, sites that demonstrate expertise through the quality of their explanations rather than by stating credentials are sites I trust most and this site has it.

  48. Definitely returning here, that is decided, and a look at musebeat only made the case stronger, this is one of those rare websites that rewards regular visits rather than feeling stale after the first read which is something I cannot say about most of the places I bookmark today across all my topics.

  49. Now appreciating that the post did not require external context to follow, and a look at ethicaldesignmarket 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.

  50. Generally I find the content on similar topics frustrating in specific ways and this post avoided all of them, and a look at futuregrovegallery continued that frustration free experience, content that sidesteps the standard failure modes of its genre is content with editorial awareness and this site has clearly studied what fails elsewhere consistently.

Leave a Reply

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