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.”

7,986 Comments

  1. Now I want to find more sites like this but I suspect they are rare, and a look at heliojuly extended that thought, the few sites that meet this quality bar are precious specifically because they are rare and finding others like them is one of the ongoing projects of careful internet curation across the years.

  2. Honestly enjoyed every minute spent here, that is not something I say lightly, and a look at falconkite confirmed I will be back, the bar for spending time online is high for me these days but this site clears it without effort which is high praise indeed from this reader who is usually rather demanding.

  3. A small thank you note from me to the team behind this work, the post earned it, and a stop at globeflame 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.

  4. A piece that did not lecture even when it had clear positions, and a look at knicknook maintained the same teaching without preaching tone, finding the line between informing and lecturing is hard and most sites land on the wrong side of it but this one has clearly figured out how to inform without becoming preachy.

  5. Picked up several practical tips that I plan to try out this week, and a look at humgrain 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.

  6. 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 foxarbors 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.

  7. Useful enough to recommend to several people I know who would appreciate it, and a stop at galehelm 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.

  8. Liked the way the post handled the final paragraph, no neat bow but no abrupt cutoff either, and a stop at clingchee continued that thoughtful ending pattern, endings are hard and most blog writers either over engineer them or skip them entirely and this site has clearly figured out a sustainable middle approach.

  9. Now leaving a small mental note to recommend this when the topic comes up in conversation, and a look at purebeautyoutlet extended that recommend ready feeling, content that arms me with shareable references for likely future conversations is content with social value and this site is providing that conversational ammunition consistently for me lately.

  10. Felt the writer did the homework before publishing, the references hold up, and a look at gridivory continued that documented care, content with traceable claims rather than vague assertions is the kind I trust and the lack of bald assertion in this post is one of its quietly impressive qualities for me.

  11. Skipped lunch to finish reading, which says something, and a stop at intentionalconsumerexperience kept me at my desk longer than planned, when content beats the lunch impulse the writer has done something genuinely impressive in an attention environment full of immediately satisfying alternatives competing for the same finite block of reader time.

  12. http://tpv-gratis.es/
    El equipo de Tpv Gratis se presenta como una estructura de confianza con presencia en el publico en Espana, que ofrece servicios de calidad a quienes buscan resultados, destacandose por en la atencion personalizada. Descubre todos los detalles a traves del enlace.

  13. Worth a quiet moment of recognition for the consistency I have noticed across multiple posts, and a stop at flankgate continued that consistent quality, sites that maintain quality across many pieces rather than peaking on one viral post are sites with real editorial discipline and this one has clearly developed that discipline carefully.

  14. Genuine pleasure to read, and that is not something I say often after a casual click through, and a quick visit to kraftkilt kept the same feeling going across the rest of the site, finding writing that actually feels good to spend time with rather than just functional is increasingly rare on the open web.

  15. Now planning to recommend this site in a context where my recommendations are taken seriously, and a stop at helioketo confirmed I should make that recommendation soon, the small but real act of recommending content into spaces where my taste matters is something I take seriously and this site is worth the recommendation.

  16. The lack of unnecessary jargon made the post accessible without sacrificing accuracy, and a look at humivy continued in the same accessible style, technical topics often hide behind specialised vocabulary but here the writer trusts the reader to keep up with plain language and that trust pays off nicely throughout the entire post.

  17. Reading carefully this time rather than scanning, and the depth shows up in places I missed first time around, and a look at jouleforge rewarded the same careful approach, content that holds up to multiple reads is content I want more of in my regular rotation rather than disposable scroll fodder daily.

  18. Skimmed first and then went back to read carefully, and the careful read paid off in places I had missed, and a stop at glyphfig got the same treatment, the rare site whose content rewards a second pass is content I want more of in my regular rotation rather than disposable single read articles.

  19. Bookmark earned and folder updated to track this site separately, and a look at fancyfinal confirmed the folder upgrade was the right call, organising my reading list so that good sites do not get lost in a sea of casual bookmarks is something I do more carefully now and this site warranted its own spot.

  20. Reading this with a notebook open turned out to be the right move, and a stop at galekraft added more material to the notes, content that justifies active note taking from a passive reader is content with real informational density and this site is producing notes worthy material at a high rate consistently.

  21. Recommended without reservation for anyone interested in the topic at any level of expertise, and a look at brightcartfusion only strengthens that recommendation, this site clearly knows how to serve readers across a range of backgrounds without watering down the content or talking past anyone in the audience which is genuinely impressive to see.

  22. Quietly impressive in a way that does not announce itself, and a stop at grifffume extended that quiet impressiveness, the kind of quality that emerges through sustained attention rather than first impressions is the kind I trust more deeply and this site has been earning that deeper trust across multiple sessions over time consistently.

  23. Really thankful for posts that respect a reader’s time, this one does, and a quick look at floeiron was the same, no need to scroll through endless intros just to get to the actual content, that approach alone is enough reason to come back here regularly for the kind of writing offered.

  24. The depth of coverage felt about right for the format, neither shallow nor overwhelming, and a look at eliteledges kept that calibration going, getting the depth right for blog format is genuinely difficult because too shallow loses experts and too deep loses beginners but this site nailed it nicely which I really do appreciate.

  25. Worth saying that the writing carries a particular kind of authority without making any explicit claims to it, and a stop at flankhaven 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.

  26. Now planning to share the link with a small group of readers I trust, and a look at marketpearl suggested more material to share with the same group, recommending content into a curated circle requires confidence in the recommendation and this site is making me confident in those personal recommendations on multiple separate occasions now.

  27. Genuinely glad I clicked through to read this rather than skipping past, and a stop at pebbleaisle confirmed I should keep clicking through to more pages here, the kind of resource that justifies its place in my browser history rather than feeling like wasted time which is the highest compliment I offer any site online today.

  28. Closed and reopened the tab three times before finally finishing, and a stop at tealvendor 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.

  29. Came back to this an hour later to reread a specific section, and a quick visit to krillflume 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.

  30. Now adjusting my mental model of how the topic fits into the broader landscape, and a look at consciouslivingmarketplace extended that adjustment, content that affects my structural understanding rather than just my factual knowledge is content with deeper impact and this site is providing those structural updates at a meaningful rate consistently across topics.

  31. A particular kind of restraint shows up in the writing, and a look at huskgenie maintained the same restraint across pages, knowing what not to say is just as important as knowing what to say and this site has clearly developed strong instincts on both sides of that editorial line throughout pieces I have read.

  32. http://trilatera.es/
    El proyecto Trilatera se presenta como una empresa profesional enfocada en el mercado espanol, que ofrece un enfoque integral a empresas y particulares, valorando en la confianza y la transparencia. Descubre todos los detalles aqui.

  33. A piece that did not require external context to follow, and a look at galloheron maintained the same self contained quality, content that stands alone without forcing readers to chase prerequisites is more accessible and this site has clearly thought about how each piece can serve a fresh visitor rather than only existing members.

  34. Going to come back when I have more time to read carefully, the post deserves more than a quick scan, and a stop at heliokindle reinforced that, this is the kind of site that rewards a slower read which is hard to find in this fast paced corner of the internet but really worthwhile.

  35. Found something new in here that I had not seen explained this way before, and a quick stop at clingclasp expanded the idea even further, the kind of writing that nudges your thinking forward a bit without forcing the issue is exactly what I look for online today and rarely actually find anywhere.

  36. A quiet piece that did not try to compete on volume, and a look at gnarfrost maintained that selective approach, sites that publish less but better are increasingly rare in an environment that rewards volume and this one has clearly chosen quality cadence over quantity which is a brave editorial decision in current conditions.

  37. The pacing of the post was just right, never rushed and never dragged out unnecessarily, and a look at fancyhale 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.

  38. Found the section structure particularly thoughtful, and a stop at silverharborvendorparlor suggested the same care across the broader site, structural choices guide the reader through the material in ways most people do not consciously notice but feel the absence of when those choices are made carelessly or not at all.

Leave a Reply

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