The Pentagon ordered Stars and Stripes to shift to military-focused content, ending independent journalism and raising concerns over government control.

Stars and Stripes has been ordered by the Pentagon to eliminate what officials refer to as "woke distractions" and non-military reporting and instead concentrate its content on military operations, weapons systems, fitness, and readiness. In contrast to a long-standing law requiring civilian leadership, the directive, which was announced on January 15, 2026, calls for reducing reprints from major news agencies, switching to more Pentagon-produced content, and possibly requiring active-duty service members to write stories. Concerns regarding government control over military journalism have been raised by the action, which also entails removing editorial independence protections from the 1990s. The publisher and ombudsman of the paper are among the critics who caution that the changes jeopardize the outlet's independence and credibility. The change comes after it was revealed that prospective employees were questioned about their support for President Trump's policies, raising more general worries about political allegiance in official media.