The Attack on a Historic Cornerstone of American Military Culture
For the Trump administration, objective journalism is the enemy, and the truth is a liberal conspiracy
The first edition of the independent military newspaper, Stars and Stripes, was published during the Civil War on November 9, 1861, by Union soldiers in Bloomfield, Missouri.
The soldiers had entered Bloomfield in pursuit of Confederate Brigadier General M. Jeff Thompson, known as the “Swamp Fox.” Thompson and his “rebel forces” had retreated from the town just before the Union's arrival.
Finding the local, pro-Confederate newspaper office of the Bloomfield Herald abandoned, ten Union soldiers (several of whom were printers in civilian life) commandeered the equipment to publish their own news, christening the new publication the “Stars and Stripes.”
The paper was a "one-issue phenomenon” as they were ordered to retreat when Confederate forces reoccupied the town.
The Stars and Stripes name was revived again on February 8, 1918, to provide news to the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) in France during World War I. It soon became an eight-page weekly publication with a peak circulation of 526,000.
During World War II, it transitioned into a daily paper and expanded rapidly, eventually operating from 25 locations and reaching a daily circulation of 1.2 million by 1945.
The newspaper has been in continuous publication in Europe since 1942 and in the Pacific since 1945. It covered major conflicts, including the Korean War, Vietnam War, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and now reaches more than 6 million readers.
Journalism vs Propaganda and Indoctrination
Although funded by the Department of Defense, the Stars and Stripes has always been mandated by Congress to be governed by First Amendment principles so that members of our military have access to the unvarnished truth and will not be subjected to propaganda from a particular administration.
Until now…
Former Fox TV host Pete Hegseth, now serving as Trump’s Secretary of Defense, has announced that the Pentagon plans a significant overhaul of the Stars and Stripes editorial policies to “refocus” content away from “woke distractions” to concentrate on “reporting for our warfighters.”
Last year, Hegseth issued directives to purge "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion" (DEI) content from Department of Defense websites and social media platforms. This initiative resulted in the removal of thousands of images and articles, including those honoring female and minority military heroes.
It was a true “whitewashing” of history
This purge included the Tuskegee Airmen, Jackie Robinson’s Army service, and Sergeant William Carney, the first Black Medal of Honor recipient.
Stories on the Navajo Code Talkers and paratroopers of Navajo heritage were deleted.
A page dedicated to the highly decorated, segregated 442nd Infantry Regiment of Japanese Americans was also removed, along with articles on record-breaking female aviators, the first female Marine infantry graduates, and the first woman in the elite Air Force Thunderbirds.
Stars and Stripes publisher Max Lederer notes, “This will either destroy the value of the organization or significantly reduce its value.”
It is what all authoritarians seek to do: replace the truth with propaganda, spin, and disinformation designed to obfuscate, manipulate, and brainwash to ultimately facilitate absolute control.
Resources:
Defense Department Says Military Newspaper Stars and Stripes Must Eliminate ‘Woke Distractions’ ~ Associated Press
The Pentagon’s Diversity Purge: Officials Describe a Scramble to Remove and Then Restore Online Content ~ Military.com
The Medal of Honor Recipient Erased in the Pentagon’s DEI Purge ~ Military.com
Lawmakers Demand Trump Administration Restore Removed Webpages Celebrating Troops ~ Military.com
IN AMERICA, WE DON’T DO KINGS ~ Indivible.org
NO KINGS ~ NoKings.org
An important exposé. Thanks, Brad.
Ad Fontes Media rates Stars and Stripes as one of the most accurate and least biased news outlets. It was only a matter of time before the admin needed to wreck it.