No, Mr. Secretary, America doesn’t need an actual patriotic press - Butler County Times-Gazette

No, Mr. Secretary, America doesn’t need an actual patriotic press - Butler County Times-Gazette

As the U.S.- and Israel-led war continues to expand, its justifications have grown thinner and its timeline more elusive. At the same time, the Trump administration appears increasingly eager to rein in unfavorable coverage. During a Pentagon press briefing on March 13, 2026, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth urged journalists to adopt more favorable framing of the conflict, telling reporters, “Here’s a real headline for you, for an actual …