Pentagon response to Stars and Stripes oversight renews fears over outlet’s independence

A letter from the Department of Defense outlining their policies for Stars and Stripes is renewing concerns from Senate Democrats over whether the outlet will remain independent under the Trump administration.

An April letter from DOD obtained by The Hill was penned the same day the Pentagon fired the outlet’s ombudsman, the person meant to monitor the outlet’s editorial independence and report concerns to Congress. 

In a letter to lawmakers, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said Stars and Stripes must operate within the parameters of March guidelines mandating content be “in support of good order and discipline of the military.” 

He also said the publication must deliver content “that is not usually covered by commercial media,” a nod to a decision earlier this year to bar the paper from publishing cartoons and stories from other news outlets.

“Stripes will remain editorially independent of the U.S. military chain of command, military political affairs activities, or other internal influences, and without censorship and propaganda,” Parnell wrote in the letter.

“However, Stripes must still operate as a fiscally sound and efficient business enterprise that is fully accountable to department leadership for transforming itself to best serve today’s U.S. military community.”

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