Pentagon To 'Refocus' Legendary Military Newspaper In Latest 'Woke' CrackdownThe Pentagon announced Thursday an overhaul of the legendary U.S. military newspaper Stars and Stripes to shift it away from covering what it considers to be “woke distractions.”First published during the Civil War, Stars and Stripes is written to both inform and speak for American troops, and fiercely guards its editorial independence, which is guaranteed by Congress, despite operating inside the Defense Department.In a post, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the publication — which has print and online editions across the world — world be returning to “its original mission: reporting for our warfighters.”“We are bringing Stars & Stripes into the 21st century. We will modernize its operations, refocus its content away from woke distractions that syphon [sic] morale, and adapt it to serve a new generation of service members,” he said in the post, which was endorsed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.Parnell added that the outlet will now “focus on warfighting, weapons systems, fitness, lethality, survivability, and ALL THINGS MILITARY," not "repurposed DC gossip columns" or "Associated Press reprints."Hegseth, who calls his department the “War Department,” has made attacks on diversity and inclusion central to his tenure at the Pentagon, bemoaning its alleged status as the “Woke Department” in a speech to generals in September.The announcement comes as The Washington Post reported that Stars and Stripes job applicants are being asked whether they support Trump's policy positions.Right-wing outlet The Daily Wire first reported on the newspaper's new look, and noted 50% of its content will be “composed of War Department-generated materials.”The first Trump administration attempted to shutter Stars and Stripes in 2020 before it reversed course following a backlash.See All UpdatesClose