Press advocates condemn Pentagon move to seize editorial control of Stars and Stripes

Press advocates condemn Pentagon move to seize editorial control of Stars and Stripes
Trump administration struck policy requiring news outlet to have civilian editor and independent ombudsman
Richard Luscombe
Fri 16 Jan 2026 11.07 EST


Press freedom advocates have condemned a move by the Pentagon to seize editorial control of the independent Stars and Stripes newspaper, a daily publication for service members that has covered the US armed forces since the US civil war.

The Trump administration announced on Thursday that the outlet would no longer cover “woke distractions”, and instead “modernize its operations … and adapt to serve a new generation of service members”.

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The government published a final rule in the federal register on Thursday that struck previous policy regarding Stars and Stripes’ business operations, including a requirement for a civilian editor and an independent ombudsman who is “a highly qualified journalist hired from outside the department of defense”.

The action drew immediate censure from press freedom groups as the latest attempt by the Pentagon to stifle criticism and control what is written about it.

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https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/16/defense-department-stars-and-stripes-editorial-control