Restore Stars and Stripes' Editorial Independence Under Congressional Mandate

I am writing to urge you to take immediate action to restore the editorial independence of Stars and Stripes, which the Pentagon stripped away through a final rule published in the federal register this week. This rule eliminates longstanding protections including requirements for a civilian editor and an independent ombudsman who must be a highly qualified journalist hired from outside the Department of Defense. Stars and Stripes has served our military with distinction since 1861, when Union troops founded it during the Civil War. With a circulation of 1.2 million, it has earned its reputation through credible journalism, including being the first to publish the iconic Iwo Jima flag-raising photograph that won a Pulitzer Prize in 1945 and conducting investigations that hold powerful figures accountable, such as reporter Travis Tritten's 2015 investigation that exposed NBC anchor Brian Williams' false claims about Iraq. The congressional mandate and defense department directive are clear: there shall be a free flow of news and information without news management or censorship. Sean Parnell, assistant to the secretary of defense for public affairs, announced that Pentagon officials would now control content to eliminate what he called "woke distractions" and focus on administration-approved topics. This directly violates the First Amendment principles that Congress established to protect this publication. Our service members risk their lives defending the Constitution. They have earned the right to press freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment, not propaganda tailored by political appointees. As Tim Richardson of PEN America noted, with significant increases in defense spending and new foreign military operations being proposed, we need more independent reporting, not less. I urge you to introduce or support legislation that explicitly restores Stars and Stripes' editorial independence and reverses this dangerous precedent. Our troops deserve credible, trustworthy news, not a mouthpiece for political messaging.