Military newspaper hires screened for loyalty to Trump's 'policy priorities'

Stars and Stripes, a US military news publication funded in part by the government, is intended to have editorial independence, but according to the Washington Post, new hire applicants are now being asked what they will do in order to forward Donald Trump's "policy priorities."

The publication first began in 1861 at the dawn of the Civil War, but did not begin continuous publication until World War II, providing news for military members and veterans about the military. Across all platforms, it currently has an audience of roughly 1.4 million. The Department of Defense provides part of the funding for it, and its employees are considered Pentagon staffers, but despite that, efforts have been made over the decades to ensure its editorial freedom, including action from Congress.

As the Post reported on Wednesday, however, applicants looking to work for the historic publication have been asked a new question, one that has triggered alarm and concern from media watchdogs and current staff members about Stars and Stripes' ability to remain independent.

“How would you advance the President’s Executive Orders and policy priorities in this role?" the question reads. "Identify one or two relevant Executive Orders or policy initiatives that are significant to you, and explain how you would help implement them if hired.”

This marks the latest example of a persistent trend over the last year, with the Trump administration attempting to exert control — in this case, ideological control — over agencies, departments and programs once deemed independent.

Jacqueline Smith, ombudsman for Stars and Stripes, told the Post that the outlet's leadership had not been made aware of the question's addition to the hiring process. Smith's position is mandated by Congress as a means to ensure the paper's independence. An inquiry into the matter revealed that the question was being posed to applicants using USAJobs.com, the government's official online jobs portal. The Office of Personnel Management, led by Project 2025 architect Russ Vought, was responsible for adding the question.

“Asking prospective employees how they would support the administration’s policies is antithetical to Stripes’ journalistic and federally mandated mission,” Smith said. “Journalistically, it’s against ethics, because reporters or any staff member — editors, photographers — should be impartial.”

“Regarding our recruiting, the federal government’s platform wasn’t designed with Stars and Stripes in mind,” Erik Slavin, editor-in-chief for Stars and Stripes, explained to the Post. “We pride ourselves on objectivity. We’ve reinforced our commitment to scrupulous balance and accuracy. We do not shy away from holding military officials accountable when a story calls for it.”

Max Lederer, the newspaper’s publisher, added that no applicants had so far brought up the question to leadership, noting that it appears to be an optional part of the process that does not disqualify applicants who ignore it.