Stars and Stripes Editorial Independence Act of 2026

Jeanne Shaheen

Democrat · NH · Senator

Source: Congress.gov · FEC

• Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)Original· 2026-05-20

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

2026-05-20

Source: Congress.gov

The Stars and Stripes, a military newspaper that reports news to service members and their families, would be protected from political pressure or interference in its editorial decisions under this proposal. The bill aims to ensure that military leadership cannot suppress or control what stories the publication covers or how it covers them, preserving the organization's ability to report independently on military issues. This affects military personnel and their families who rely on the publication for trustworthy news.

AI-assisted summary generated from the official bill metadata (title, subjects, actions) sourced from Congress.gov. Cached and reviewed. Always verify against the official text linked below.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [S. 4614 Introduced in Senate (IS)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 4614 To protect the editorial independence of the Stars and Stripes news organization. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES May 20, 2026 Mrs. Shaheen (for herself and Mr. Blumenthal) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To protect the editorial independence of the Stars and Stripes news organization. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Stars and Stripes Editorial Independence Act of 2026''. SEC. 2. FINDINGS. Congress makes the following findings: (1) Stars and Stripes has reported on issues unique to members of the United States Armed Forces, particularly those serving abroad, dating back to the Civil War. (2) Stars and Stripes remains editorially independent of interference or censorship from outside its own editorial chain of command. (3) A free and independent press is a cornerstone of democratic governance and is essential to transparency, accountability, and informed public decisionmaking. (4) Congress has historically recognized Stars and Stripes as an independent journalistic organization serving members of the Armed Forces and their families overseas. (5) Stars and Stripes provides unique and sustained coverage of issues affecting servicemember and veterans' quality of life, including housing, health care, pay and benefits, family readiness, training conditions, and the long- term impacts of military service. (6) Such reporting elevates concerns and experiences that may otherwise receive limited attention, enabling policymakers and the public to better understand the lived realities of members of the Armed Forces and their families. (7) Independent war reporting and coverage of military operations demonstrate transparency and accountability to the American public regarding the human, strategic, and financial costs of armed conflict. (8) Transparent reporting on military operations and conflicts strengthens public trust by ensuring that decisions made in the name of national security are subject to informed public awareness and debate. (9) Maintaining a clear separation between Department of Defense public affairs activities and Stars and Stripes editorial operations is necessary to preserve confidence among servicemembers and military families in the accuracy and independence of reporting provided by Stars and Stripes. (10) The ability of defense journalists to operate without censorship, undue influence, or retaliation is essential to maintaining credibility, accuracy, and public trust. (11) Protecting press freedom within the defense sector strengthens national security by promoting accountability, identifying inefficiencies or misconduct, and ensuring informed debate on defense policy. (12) Members of the Armed Forces, Department of Defense civilian employees, and their families stationed overseas, including in combat zones and other remote locations, often rely upon Stars and Stripes as a primary source of independent English-language news and information. (13) Members of the Armed Forces, Department of Defense civilian employees, and their families operate in information environments that are frequent targets of foreign adversary influence operations, including disinformation, propaganda, and coordinated inauthentic behavior. (14) Independent oversight and internal editorial review mechanisms, including the Stars and Stripes Ombudsman, support accountability and journalistic integrity. (15) Congressional oversight is necessary to ensure that Stars and Stripes is not subjected to censorship, ideological influence, or political direction. SEC. 3. INDEPENDENCE OF STARS AND STRIPES. (a) Purpose.--The purpose of this section is to codify the requirements related to the editorial independence of Stars and Stripes provided for in section 4.2 of Department of Defense Directive (DODD) 5122.11, dated October 11, 1993, and section 246.4(b) of title 32, Code…

of Federal Regulations. (b) Editorial Independence Requirement.-- (1) In general.--The Secretary of Defense shall ensure that-- (A) editorial policies and practices of Stars and Stripes are in accordance with journalistic standards governing United States news media of the highest quality, with emphasis on matters of interest to the Stars and Stripes readership; (B) Stars and Stripes' editorial operations are independent of the military chain of command, military public affairs activities, or other external influences, and without censorship or propaganda; (C) the Stars and Stripes publisher remains a civilian government employee with independent professional news media experience, who manages and controls the day-to-day business and financial, operational, and administrative activities, and provides editorial oversight of Stars and Stripes; (D) Stars and Stripes' reporters with access to Department of Defense installations are authorized to cover events or activities open to those with installation access, even though commercial news media may not have the same unescorted access; (E) Stars and Stripes is a digital-first news organization, but is also published in a print newspaper edition at a frequency and distribution determined by the publisher to best serve its readership; and (F) except as provided in paragraph (3), Stars and Stripes provides a free flow of news and information to its readership without news management or censorship from the Secretary of Defense or the Department of Defense. (2) Prohibition on withholding of unfavorable news.--The calculated withholding from publication in Stars and Stripes of news unfavorable to the Department of Defense, the military services, or the United States Government is prohibited. (3) Exceptions.-- (A) In general.--Notwithstanding the requirement under paragraph (1), Stars and Stripes shall not publish original staff-produced news stories based upon classified information or publish information that clearly endangers the lives of United States personnel or would adversely affect national security. (B) Limitation.--The exceptions under subparagraph (A) may not be construed to permit the calculated withholding of news unfavorable to the Department of Defense, the military services, or the United States Government. Any security risk information shall not be withheld without concurrence from both the Stars and Stripes publisher and the relevant combatant commander. (4) Stars and stripes personnel.--The exclusion of civilian candidates for consideration for officer, journalist, or other Stars and Stripes staff positions is prohibited. (c) News Contracting.--Stars and Stripes shall not be prohibited from purchasing, contracting for, or publishing news stories, features, syndicated columns, comic strips, and editorial cartoons from commercial news media services or sources. <all>

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