WASHINGTON, D.C. NEWS – Pentagon tightens grip over American military newspaper, Stars and Stripes

By Ben Schneider, Staff Writer

The Pentagon announced in a March 9 memo that independent American military newspaper, Stars and Stripes, will be undergoing changes and will stop publishing several types of content. This move is by the Trump administration to censor negative content about the administration and the Iran war. The Pentagon said that while the newspaper will continue to operate with editorial independence, they are also “refocus[ing] its content away from woke distractions that syphon morale,” according to a post by chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell. 

Partially funded and owned by the U.S. Department of Defense, Stars and Stripes has operated independently since the 1990s. Now, the publication is barred from publishing stories from wire services, which often informed readers of stories the publication wouldn’t be able to cover otherwise. They are also now barred from featuring comic strips and lighter coverage such as sports news. The Trump administration, which recently made attempts to stifle independent reporting around the nation by threatening lawsuits, now seeks an even tighter hold on information coming out of the Pentagon.