Ombudsman column: The Pentagon is trying to silence me
5 hours ago
- #Congressional Oversight
- #Editorial Independence
- #Pentagon Censorship
- The author, who served as the Stars and Stripes ombudsman, was fired by the Pentagon without a reason given, via a DA Form 3434 notice.
- The dismissal followed the author's outspoken criticism of Pentagon efforts to control the newspaper's content, including actions by officials like Pete Hegseth and Sean Parnell.
- The Pentagon rescinded legal protections for Stars and Stripes, bypassing required public comment, and issued an interim policy that could be changed arbitrarily.
- Congressional members, including Senators Elizabeth Warren and Richard Blumenthal, expressed alarm and called for the restoration of editorial independence, citing the paper's vital role for deployed troops.
- Efforts are underway to introduce legislation to protect Stars and Stripes from censorship, emphasizing that press independence should be a non-partisan issue.
- The author highlights the importance of the ombudsman role in safeguarding editorial independence and warns against Pentagon control over the newspaper's future.