Pentagon Vows to Save Iconic ‘Stars and Stripes’ Military Newspaper from Itself, Will Bring Back from ‘Woke Distractions’

Conservative News DailyJanuary 16, 2026

the Pentagon announced plans to reshape Stars and Stripes, saying the outlet will be modernized and refocused away from so-called “woke distractions” to concentrate on warfighting topics-weapons systems, fitness, lethality, survivability and other military matters-according to a post on X by Pentagon representative Sean Parnell. The statement said the paper will be tailored to service members and that its content will be overhauled,with less space for DC gossip and reprinted wire copy. Stars and Stripes’ ombudsman, Jacqueline Smith, and journalists pushed back, stressing the paper’s editorial independence and credibility; reporter Kevin Baron argued Pentagon control would be illegal because the outlet is legally protected from such interference. Historically aimed at service members overseas, Stars and Stripes receives roughly half its funding from the Defense Department, but congress in the 1990s established legal safeguards intended to limit Pentagon involvement in its editorial decisions, setting up the central legal and ethical dispute.

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.