Military Reporters and Editors (MRE) is disappointed, yet not surprised by, the Pentagon firing the publisher, editor-in-chief and Middle East reporter for Stars and Stripes. The United States remains in the middle of an ongoing war against Iran. These firings are the latest in the Trump administration’s ongoing campaign to silence the press and prevent American lawmakers and the public from obtaining accurate information about a war waged in their names and with their tax dollars.
Since the Civil War, Stars and Stripes has been a vital link to independent news and information for troops stationed in harm’s way. The Pentagon’s decision to remove the paper’s leadership is particularly troubling considering its invaluable work recently shedding light on the poor conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln and the plight of military families evacuated from bases around the Middle East. This latest move appears calculated to silence the voices of U.S. troops and their families, who bear the burden of our nation’s conflicts more than anyone.
Stars and Stripes is part of the Defense Department, but lawmakers and military leaders have sought for generations to keep the paper free from military interference. We call on Congress to intervene and ensure the newspaper can continue conducting independent news gathering, as the law mandates.
At the moment, the top official at Stars and Stripes is the recently installed deputy publisher, who is active duty military. Independent civilian control is vital to the mission of Stars and Stripes. In an environment where Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has not held a press briefing on the Iran war since May, the public demands and our troops deserve better information.