Senate Democrats Introduce Bill to Restore Stars and Stripes Independence

Senate Democrats announced plans on Thursday to introduce legislation aimed at restoring editorial independence for Stars and Stripes, the military's in-house newspaper. The bill, authored by Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Richard Blumenthal, would require the newspaper to exist separately from the military chain of command.

It would prohibit censorship of news articles by the Pentagon except in extreme circumstances that endanger servicemembers.

In recent months, the Department of Defense has taken steps to assert control over Stars and Stripes. In April, the Pentagon fired the newspaper's ombudsman, who had been responsible for overseeing editorial content and independence. A March memo from the department directed the newspaper to publish content consistent with good order and discipline.

The memo also limited syndication of external stories.

Shaheen said in a statement that the legislation makes clear Stars and Stripes independence is not negotiable. The bill would require the Pentagon to allow Stars and Stripes journalists access to some military events closed to the broader press corps.

A Pentagon spokesperson said earlier this year that the paper would remain independent from leadership. The spokesperson stated that new changes would modernize practices and refocus content away from certain distractions.