Pentagon Vows to Save Iconic ‘Stars and Stripes’ Military Newspaper from Itself, Will Bring Back from ‘Woke Distractions’
The Pentagon, via a post on X by Sean Parnell, announced plans to refocus Stars and Stripes on its “original mission” of serving service members by modernizing operations and shifting content away from what it called “woke distractions.” The stated editorial emphasis will be on warfighting topics-weapons systems, fitness, lethality, survivability-and material “custom tailored to our warfighters,” with a move away from republished DC coverage and Associated Press reprints.
The proclamation prompted pushback: Stars and Stripes’ ombudsman Jacqueline Smith stressed the importance of the outlet’s editorial independence, and journalist Kevin Baron argued Pentagon interference would be illegal, noting legal protections and a congressional firewall created in the 1990s to limit Defence Department control over content. Stars and Stripes has a long history dating back to the Civil War (continuous publication in its modern form since WWII), primarily serving overseas U.S. service members; roughly half its funding comes from the Defense Department and its staff are department employees.
the dispute centers on balancing the outlet’s mission to inform service members with legal and ethical protections intended to preserve independent journalism within the military.
The storied military publication Stars and Stripes will be making war on “woke,” according to the Pentagon.
“The Department of War is returning Stars & Stripes to its original mission: reporting for our warfighters,” Pentagon representative Sean Parnell posted on X.
“We are bringing Stars & Stripes into the 21st century. We will modernize its operations, refocus its content away from woke distractions that syphon morale, and adapt it to serve a new generation of service members,” the post added.
“Stars & Stripes will be custom tailored to our warfighters. It will focus on warfighting, weapons systems, fitness, lethality, survivability, and ALL THINGS MILITARY.”
The post said content will be overhauled.
STATEMENT:
The Department of War is returning Stars & Stripes to its original mission: reporting for our warfighters.
We are bringing Stars & Stripes into the 21st century. We will modernize its operations, refocus its content away from woke distractions that syphon morale,…
— Sean Parnell (@SeanParnellASW) January 15, 2026
“No more repurposed DC gossip columns; no more Associated Press reprints,” the post said.
“Stars & Stripes has a proud legacy of reporting news that’s important to our service members. The Department of War is committed to ensuring the outlet continues to reflect that proud legacy.”
Jacqueline Smith, the outlet’s ombudsman, meanwhile insisted there is nothing “woke” about Stars and Stripes.
“I think it’s very important that Stars and Stripes maintains its editorial independence, which is the basis of its credibility,” Smith said, according to PBS.
Journalist Kevin Baron also fired back in response to a Stars and Stripes post that said the Pentagon would assume control of editorial content.
So this is illegal. Stars & Stripes is protected from Pentagon interference by law. I know. I was a Stripes reporter for three years. I’m available for comment. https://t.co/cwaAoTKAqx
— Kevin Baron (@DefenseBaron) January 15, 2026
“So this is illegal. Stars & Stripes is protected from Pentagon interference by law. I know. I was a Stripes reporter for three years,” he posted on X.
Stars and Stripes, which has existed in some form since the Civil War era, has published since World War II with its chief audience being service members posted overseas, according to CBS.
About half of its budget comes from the Department of War, and staffers are considered War Department employees.
The mission statement of Stars and Stripes says it is “editorially independent of interference from outside its own editorial chain-of-command” and that it is “governed by the principles of the First Amendment.”
Congress sought to create a firewall between military leaders and the publications in the 1990s to limit Pentagon involvement in content decisions.
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