On Feb. 27, PEN America sent a letter from six leading press freedom organizations to members of the House and Senate Armed Services committees, urging immediate oversight to protect the editorial independence of Stars and Stripes. Founded during the Civil War and published continuously for more than 80 years, Stars and Stripes provides timely, accurate reporting to service members and the public, covering issues critical to national security, military accountability, and the daily lives of those serving.
Dear Chairman Wicker, Ranking Member Reed, Chairman Rogers, Ranking Member Smith and members of the House and Senate Armed Services Committee:
We write to express our strong concern regarding the editorial independence of Stars and Stripes, an independent news organization that serves the U.S. military. Stars and Stripes – founded during the Civil War and published continuously for more than 80 years – has a long tradition of providing timely, accurate reporting to service members and the public, covering issues critical to national security, military accountability, and the daily lives of those serving.
Maintaining editorial independence is essential to ensure service members have access to reporting free from undue influence by the Pentagon or military leadership. However, recent developments, including the decision to change the rule-making process for Stars and Stripes, opens the door to undermining the integrity of the news organization.
On Jan. 15, the Pentagon’s chief spokesman wrote on social media that Stars and Stripes would “refocus its content away from woke distractions that syphon morale” and that the publication would not contain “repurposed DC gossip columns.” About the same time, the Pentagon published in the Federal Register that it would eliminate the public and transparent
rule-making process that governed the operation of Stars and Stripes, thus paving the way for changes that could be made at the whims of Department of Defense leadership. This came directly after news reporting showed that applicants for positions at the news outlet were being asked how they would support the president’s policy priorities.
We urge Congress to take three actions to protect Stars and Stripes’ independence. Specifically, we request that you:
- Reaffirm Congress’s oversight role in ensuring the newsroom operates according to
First Amendment principles. - Ask the Department of Defense how it plans to guarantee that editorial decision-making remains free from political interference by military leadership, and whether it will advocate for a reversal of the decision regarding rulemaking related to the operations of Stars and Stripes.
- Support policies and oversight measures that preserve the ability of Stars and Stripes journalists to report candidly and without fear of retaliation.
The federal government rulemaking process is the formal mechanism by which executive agencies create, amend, or repeal regulations to implement laws passed by Congress, ensuring transparency, public participation, and accountability. The Defense Department’s effort to change the rule-making processes governing Stars and Stripes would dismantle long-standing protections for editorial independence, risking the transformation of a trusted news source into a
government-controlled outlet.
The American public, and especially those serving overseas in uniform, rely on Stars and Stripes to provide accurate and independent reporting. Stories that came to light only through Stars and Stripes reporting include investigations into hazardous living conditions in military housing, such as widespread mold, poor air quality, and systemic maintenance failures. Its coverage of privatized military housing oversight, ongoing reforms, and gaps in accountability has prompted congressional attention that would have been impossible without independence.
Sincerely,
PEN America
Freedom of the Press Foundation
Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
International Women’s Media Foundation
Reporters Without Borders (RSF)
Committee to Protect Journalists
