Jacqueline Smith, appointed in December 2023 as ombudsman for Stars and Stripes, says the Pentagon has fired her after she repeatedly warned lawmakers of "attempted control" over the independent military newspaper. Her dismissal, effective April 28, was delivered with no explanation and described as "not grievable." The move follows Pentagon statements about reshaping the paper and a rescission of a regulatory process that might have protected it from interference.
Pentagon Dismisses Stars and Stripes Ombudsman After Warnings of 'Attempted Control'
Pentagon Suspends Official Over Anti-Israel Posts
The Pentagon has dismissed Jacqueline Smith, the ombudsman for Stars and Stripes, the independent newspaper that serves U.S. service members, after she publicly warned of what she described as attempts by the Defense Department to exert control over the outlet.
Background
Smith, appointed in December 2023 to safeguard the paper's editorial independence, said the department informed her of the decision without explanation and told her the action "is not grievable." Her dismissal is set to take effect on April 28. Stars and Stripes receives partial funding from the Department of Defense but has traditionally operated with editorial autonomy.
What Smith Said
In an op-ed published by the newspaper, Smith wrote that she had repeatedly alerted the House and Senate Armed Services committees to her "great and growing concern about attempted control of the newspaper by the Pentagon." She argued that her removal follows those warnings and called the process "the coldest way possible."
"Apparently, the Pentagon also doesn't want you to hear from me anymore about threats to the editorial independence of Stars and Stripes. They fired me," Smith wrote.
Context And Recent Developments
Smith's removal comes amid broader changes at Stars and Stripes. In January, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the paper would be revamped to "refocus its content away from woke distractions that siphon morale, and adapt it to serve a new generation of service members." Smith noted that the administration increasingly announces policy via social media and said Parnell's post "had to be taken seriously."
On the same day as that social post, Smith says the Pentagon rescinded a regulatory process in the Code of Federal Regulations that could have provided Stars and Stripes with stronger legal protection from interference. Her op-ed closes with an appeal to preserve the paper's longstanding commitment to the military community and journalistic values.
Why This Matters
Observers say the dismissal raises questions about the paper's future independence and the safeguards designed by Congress to protect editorial autonomy in a publication that serves the armed forces. Smith's account and the timing of regulatory changes have prompted concern among advocates for an independent military press.
Help us improve.
