The Defense Department outlined a sweeping “modernization” effort for Stars and Stripes, the independent military newspaper, according to an internal memo reviewed by The Washington Post, following up on a promise made in January to overhaul the publication and rid it of “woke distractions.”
The memo, sent by Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen A. Feinberg on March 9, says the newspaper “must modernize to remain relevant and viable” in the digital age. It also introduces an “interim policy” governing the newspaper effective immediately that Feinberg says replaces previous Pentagon instructions. That policy restricts the use of wire services and says that content in the paper, known as Stripes, must be consistent with “good order and discipline,” a phrase used in military justice.
