The War Department said Thursday it will overhaul "Stars and Stripes," the military newspaper with a long-standing promise of editorial independence.
The changes include ending distribution of wire service material such as The Associated Press, in a move the Pentagon framed as a reset toward "warfighters" and away from what it called "woke distractions."
In an X post, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the department is bringing the newspaper "into the 21st century."
"The Department of War is returning Stars & Stripes to its original mission: reporting for our warfighters," Parnell said. "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."
Parnell said the "modernized" publication "will focus on warfighting, weapons systems, fitness, lethality, survivability, and ALL THINGS MILITARY."
"Stars and Stripes," which employs War Department employees as staff members and has operations that sit within the Pentagon's Defense Media Activity, has long asserted that its journalism is protected from political influence.
The publication stated it "retains its editorial independence and is congressionally mandated to be governed by First Amendment principles."
The Federal Register has described it as a War Department organization that provides "First Amendment-protected news and information" to the military community.
The publication traces its roots to an 1861 Civil War-era soldier newspaper, with later World War I- and World War II-era incarnations forming the basis of the modern publication.
The newspaper has won major national honors, including a George Polk Award for military reporting for its "Shaping the Message" series on the Pentagon's use of a public relations firm to profile reporters covering Afghanistan.
It also reported winning a National Headliner Award for public service reporting for a body of work credited with "Forcing Change."
Thursday's announcement followed a Washington Post report that job applicants for "Stars and Stripes" were asked how they would support President Donald Trump's policies, including, "How would you advance the president's executive orders and policy priorities in this role?"
The Post reported the Office of Personnel Management, not "Stars and Stripes" leadership, added the question to applications, and that OPM said hiring decisions cannot consider political or ideological beliefs.
Parnell said Thursday the paper's "proud legacy" matters to service members.
"The Department of War is committed to ensuring the outlet continues to reflect that proud legacy," he said.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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