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.”

7,946 Comments

  1. Just sat back at the end of the post and felt grateful that someone took the time to write it, and a look at mexqiro extended that gratitude across more of the site, recognising effort behind quality work is part of what makes the open web a community rather than just a marketplace today.

  2. A piece that did not try to be timeless and ended up reading as durable anyway, and a look at gapjumbo extended that durable feel, content that stays useful past its publication date without straining for permanence is content that ages well and this site has the kind of evergreen quality that I value highly today.

  3. Felt the writer respected the topic without being precious about it, and a look at lorzavi continued that respectful but unfussy treatment, finding the right register for serious topics is hard and this site has clearly figured out how to take the topic seriously while still being readable for casual visitors regularly.

  4. The overall feel of the post was professional without being stuffy, and a look at urbanso kept that approachable expertise going, finding the right register for technical content is hard but this site has clearly figured out how to sound knowledgeable without slipping into that distant lecturing tone that loses readers in droves every time.

  5. Reading this prompted me to clean up some old notes related to the topic, and a stop at easybuyingcorner extended that organising urge, content that triggers personal organisation rather than just consuming attention is content with motivating energy and this site has the kind of clarity that prompts active follow up rather than passive consumption.

  6. 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 herongrip 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.

  7. Thanks for keeping things clear and to the point, that is honestly hard to find online these days, and after reading through vuzmixo the message stayed consistent which makes me trust the information being shared more than I usually do on similar pages that cover this same kind of topic.

  8. A quiet kind of confidence runs through the writing, and a look at ironfleet carried that same understated assurance, confidence without bragging is the most attractive register for online writing and the writers here have clearly developed it through practice rather than affecting it through stylistic tricks that would feel hollow eventually.

  9. 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 freshcartoptions kept that same standard going, so I left feeling like the time spent here was actually worth something for once which is rare lately.

  10. Following the post through to the end without my attention drifting once, and a look at feltglen earned the same uninterrupted attention, content that holds attention without manipulating it is content with substantive pull and this site has demonstrated that substantive pull across multiple pieces in a single reading session reliably here today.

  11. Big thanks to whoever wrote this, you saved me a lot of time hunting for the same info on other sites, and a stop at tirqano only added more useful detail without going off topic, that kind of focus is honestly hard to come across these days when most posts wander everywhere.

  12. A thoughtful piece that did not strain to be thoughtful, and a look at fairvendor 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.

  13. The headings made navigating the post simple even when I needed to find a specific section quickly, and a look at neatglyphs continued the same thoughtful structure, small details like clear headings show that someone is actually thinking about how the reader uses the page rather than just filling it for length alone.

  14. Now recognising the post as a rare example of careful writing on a topic that mostly receives careless treatment, and a stop at buymixo extended that contrast with the average elsewhere, content that highlights how much the average is settling for low quality is content that has both internal merit and external value as a benchmark.

  15. Reading this with a notebook open turned out to be the right move, and a stop at thoughtfuldesigncollective 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.

  16. Now realising the post has been quietly doing important work in my mind for the past hour, and a stop at gullgoal 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.

  17. Will recommend this to a couple of friends who have been asking about this exact topic, and after flareaisle I have even more reason to do so, the kind of site that earns word of mouth rather than chasing it through aggressive marketing or paid placements is always a treat to find online.

  18. Well done, the kind of post that makes you slow down and actually read instead of skimming for keywords, and a look at foilgenie kept me reading carefully too, that is a sign of writing that has been crafted rather than churned out for an algorithm to see today and tomorrow.

  19. Beyond the topic at hand this site reads as a small ongoing project of taking writing seriously, and a look at gapkraft reinforced that project quality, sites that treat publishing as an ongoing serious practice rather than as content production for traffic are sites worth supporting and this one has clearly chosen the serious approach.

  20. Refreshing change from the usual sites covering this topic, no clickbait and no padding, and a stop at shopvato confirmed the difference, this place clearly has its own voice rather than copying the formulas everyone else uses to chase clicks online which is becoming increasingly rare these days across nearly every popular subject.

  21. Honest reaction is that this is the kind of writing I would defend in a conversation about good blog content, and a look at lovqaro reinforced that, the rare site whose work I would actively recommend rather than just tolerate is the kind I want to support through return visits regularly.

  22. Felt mildly happier after reading, which sounds silly but is true, and a look at kalqavo 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.

  23. http://wwwings.es/
    El equipo de Wwwings se posiciona como una consultora con experiencia enfocada en el mercado espanol, que proporciona soluciones personalizadas a quienes valoran la eficiencia, destacandose por en los resultados. Mas informacion en el sitio oficial.

  24. Reading this between two meetings turned out to be the highlight of the morning, and a stop at urbantix continued that highlight quality, content that outshines the structured parts of a working day is doing something well beyond ordinary and this site has produced multiple such highlights for me already this week alone.

  25. Came here from another site and ended up exploring much further than I planned, and a look at morqino 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.

  26. I came here looking for a quick answer and ended up reading the whole post because it was actually interesting, and after ironkrill I had a much fuller picture, no stress and no confusion just a clear walk through the topic that made everything fall into place without much effort.

  27. Refreshing tone compared to the dry corporate posts on similar topics, and a stop at qavmizo carried that personality through nicely, you can tell when a real person is behind the writing versus a content team chasing metrics and this site definitely falls into the former category clearly across what I have seen.

  28. Decided I would read the archives over the weekend, and a stop at fashiondailychoice confirmed that the archives would be worth the time, very few sites have archives I would actively read through but this one has earned that level of interest based on the consistent quality across what I have sampled so far.

  29. The whole experience of reading this was pleasant from start to finish, no pop ups and no annoying interruptions, and a look at eagerkilt continued that clean experience, technical choices about page design matter for the reader and this site clearly cares about the small details that add up to comfort across multiple visits.

  30. A particular kind of restraint shows up in the writing, and a look at vuznaro 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.

  31. A piece that handled multiple complications without becoming confused, and a look at heronhilt 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.

  32. Now adjusting my mental model of how the topic fits into the broader landscape, and a look at dailyshoppinghub 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.

  33. Felt the post had been quietly polished rather than aggressively styled, and a look at mexvoro confirmed the same understated polish, sites whose quality reveals itself slowly rather than announcing itself loudly are the kind I trust more deeply because the trust is not based on first impressions of marketing but actual substance.

  34. Beats most of the alternatives on the topic by a noticeable margin, and a look at buyrova did not change that at all, this is one of the better corners of the open internet for this kind of content and I am glad I clicked through rather than skipping past quickly like I usually do.

  35. Reading this back to back with a similar piece elsewhere made the quality difference obvious, and a stop at wavevendor only widened the gap, comparing content side by side is a useful exercise and the gap between this site and average competitors in the space is large enough to be noticeable from the first paragraph.

  36. Found this useful, the points line up well with what I have been thinking about lately, and a stop at tirvaxo added some angles I had not considered yet, definitely walking away with more than I came for which is the best outcome from time spent reading online for any kind of topic.

  37. Found something new in here that I had not seen explained this way before, and a quick stop at gullkindle 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.

  38. 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 flarefest confirmed that approach is consistent across the site which is rare to find online these days, definitely a place I will return to soon.

  39. Now noticing that the post never raised its voice even when making a strong point, and a look at gaussfawn continued that calm volume, content that can make important points without resorting to typographic emphasis or emotional appeal is content that trusts its substance to do the work and this site has that confidence consistently.

  40. A satisfying piece in the way that good meals are satisfying rather than just filling, and a look at elitefests extended that satisfaction, the metaphor between content and meals is one I find useful and this site reads as a satisfying meal rather than the empty calories that most content provides for casual readers.

  41. Bookmark moved to my permanent reference folder rather than the casual maybe later folder, and a look at festglade earned the same upgrade, the distinction between casual interest and lasting reference is something I track carefully and very few sites cross that threshold but this one did so without much effort apparently.

  42. Now appreciating that the post left me with enough to say in a follow up conversation, and a look at modernartisancommerce added more material for those follow ups, content that prepares me for related conversations rather than just informing me alone is content with social utility and this site provides that social armament reliably for me.

  43. Thanks for keeping things clear and to the point, that is honestly hard to find online these days, and after reading through lovzari the message stayed consistent which makes me trust the information being shared more than I usually do on similar pages that cover this same kind of topic.

Leave a Reply

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