Pentagon says it's making Stars and Stripes, the independent military newspaper, "woke"-free

[Clean Carac]

I'm so confused about what's going on with Stars and Stripes ... they're saying they want to get rid of all that stuff that's considered "woke" but I feel like that's just a fancy way of saying "we don't want you to report anything that might make us uncomfortable"...

I mean, shouldn't a newspaper be about reporting the news, not just what the military wants to hear? And what exactly is meant by "warfighting", fitness, lethality, survivability"? Is it like they're going to start publishing recipe books for meals that'll make you last longer in combat or something?

It's also weird that they're introducing these loyalty tests for journalists... I get that the government wants to be sure people are on board with their agenda but shouldn't reporters be allowed to do their jobs without fear of being ostracized?

I hope they can figure out a way to balance what's important to service members with not having the military dictate what gets published... we need more transparency and accountability, not less

 

[Blue Bear]

This whole thing is a perfect example of how politics seeps into every aspect of our lives . The idea that some people think they can just control what we're exposed to and dictate what's 'relevant' is just laughable . I mean, who gets to decide what's 'woke' or not? It's like trying to police someone's thoughts and feelings – it's a total invasion of personal space .

And let's be real, if the Pentagon can't even trust its own journalists to report on their own operations without some kind of oversight, then maybe they should just let them do their job . I mean, Stars and Stripes has been around for decades, it's got a reputation for being independent and fair – what's changed?

It's all about control, folks . If the administration wants to dictate what we're reading and hearing, that's one thing, but when they start policing our own thoughts and feelings, that's when you know we've got a problem . The loyalty test is just another way of saying 'we trust you to agree with us' . Newsflash: the press shouldn't be beholden to anyone except the public

 

[Encourag]

I'm really worried about what's going on with Stars and Stripes . The Pentagon thinks they can just overhaul the paper to make it more 'military-focused' but what about the stuff that matters to the actual service members? I mean, we're talking about people who are putting their lives on the line every day, not just about military hardware or strategy . This loyalty test for job applicants is just another red flag – how can you expect journalists to be objective if they're being asked to swear allegiance to a particular agenda? It's like they're trying to suffocate the press and control what people are told . The fact that ombudsman Jacqueline Smith was surprised by this move just shows how out of touch the Pentagon is with reality . What's next, trying to limit coverage of veterans' issues or politics? I hope they think twice about messing with something as important as a free press

 

[Cloudy Caiman]

Ugh, can you believe they're trying to suck the soul outta Stars and Stripes ? I mean, I get it, the military is a tough world and all that jazz, but come on! A newspaper should be about more than just war stories and hardware . It's supposed to be about telling the human side of things too - you know, the stuff that really matters .

And what's with this "woke distractions" nonsense? That's just a fancy way of saying they're trying to control the narrative and stifle some serious conversations . News outlets should be about reporting the truth, not pandering to whoever's in power .

I'm all for modernizing and refocusing on what really matters, but you can't just rewrite history books and expect everything to be okay . And those loyalty tests? Absolutely nope . Reporters should be able to do their jobs without being asked to swear allegiance to some particular ideology or agenda .

I'll believe it when I see it, though . Until then, I'll be keeping an eye on Stars and Stripes to make sure they don't lose that essential human touch .