Defense Department says military newspaper Stars and Stripes must eliminate 'woke distractions'
PBS • • nation
Key Points:
- The Pentagon announced plans to refocus the military newspaper Stars and Stripes on reporting exclusively for service members, eliminating what it called "woke distractions" and emphasizing topics like warfighting and military fitness.
- This shift includes a move to have all content written by active-duty service members, halting publication of Associated Press and Reuters material, and generating half of the content internally within the Defense Department.
- Stars and Stripes has a long history of editorial independence from government and military leadership, a status established by Congress in the 1990s to protect its credibility among service members.
- Critics, including the outlet’s publisher and ombudsman, warn that the Pentagon’s changes risk undermining the newspaper’s value and independence, which are central
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