Ombudsman column: The Pentagon is trying to silence me

Source: Hacker News

Stars and Stripes ombudsman Jacqueline Smith was notified that her last day in the role would be April 28, 2026 (Department of Defense).

A recent opinion column I wrote as the Stars and Stripes ombudsman began with this:

“Pete Hegseth doesn’t want you to see cartoons in this newspaper anymore.”

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.

Firing and Pentagon Actions

The termination was delivered in the coldest way possible: DA Form 3434 stated that my last day as ombudsman for Stars and Stripes is April 28 (the DoD must give five days’ notice). No reason was given, but the notice added: “This action is not grievable.”

Background

• The ombudsman is the only person charged by Congress with protecting Stars and Stripes’ editorial independence.
• For nearly a year, Pentagon leadership has placed increasing restrictions on the mainstream media.
• The New York Times sued; after the Defense Department lost in court, Secretary Hegseth and his team attempted another restriction, which the judge also rejected.

“Refocus” Announcement

On Jan. 15, Assistant to the Secretary of Defense/War (Public Affairs) Sean Parnell posted on X a four‑paragraph “refocus” of the newspaper. My firing notice came from his office.

Since that post, I have spoken out in columns, media interviews, talks with national free‑press groups, and communications with Congress about the Pentagon’s attempts to control Stripes’ content.

On the same day as the X post, the Pentagon rescinded a Code of Federal Regulations process that would have given Stripes legal protection from interference. The rescission violated the Administrative Procedures Act because there was no opportunity for public comment.

Without codifying Stripes’ operation in the Federal Register, the operating policy reverted to an outdated, decades‑old directive that could be changed on a whim by the DoD. The DoD issued an interim policy on Mar. 9 through Deputy Secretary of Defense/War Steve Feinberg.

Congressional Response

Senate

On April 8, Senators Elizabeth Warren (D‑Mass.) and Richard Blumenthal (D‑Conn.)—joined by four other Democrats on the Senate Armed Services Committee—sent a letter to Feinberg:

“DoD’s new policy threatens the credibility of Stars and Stripes, and the reliable flow of unbiased news to service members, and contradicts decades of Congressional reforms that guard against censorship at the paper. We urge you to immediately rescind DoD’s new policy and restore editorial independence guaranteed by the First Amendment to Stars and Stripes.”

The five‑page letter contains seven questions; to my knowledge, no answers have been provided.

The senators emphasized the value of Stripes:

“The mission of Stars and Stripes to provide ‘independent news and information to the U.S. military community’ is more important now than ever as tens of thousands of service members are deployed in the Middle East. In times of war and limited access to media, Stars and Stripes is distributed freely to deployed troops — serving as a vital, independent link that keeps service members informed about the government and country for which they put their lives on the line.”

Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D‑N.H.) is leading efforts to introduce legislation that would protect Stripes from censorship. I encourage Republicans on the committee to co‑sponsor the bill.

House

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D‑Md.) sent a strongly worded letter on April 15, signed by 38 other House members, to Secretary Hegseth expressing “great alarm” about “reports of political interference with the editorial independence of Stars and Stripes and restrictions placed on members of the Pentagon press corps…”.

“The ombudsman is charged with safeguarding the editorial independence of the newspaper and reports directly to Congress, specifically to prevent interference from the Department,” the letter reminded Hegseth. “The current ombudsman has forcefully denounced your Department’s plans for Stars and Stripes in multiple interviews, raising the alarm about your announced changes and their consequences for the news organization. Any effort to censor, influence, control or suppress the paper’s reporting raises profound constitutional and institutional problems.”

Statement from the Former Stars and Stripes Ombudsman

“problems.”

Six days later I was fired.

I think that Hegseth and company are trying to get around Congress by not eliminating the position, just getting rid of the outspoken present ombudsman.

It took four months from the time I applied and went through a series of three interviews before I was selected from a field of 20 applicants and brought onboard. This is a critical time for the newspaper to be without an ombudsman who can fight against censorship and control.

Don’t worry about me. I’ve had a long and satisfying career in journalism. I knew there would be perils for speaking out against Pentagon attempts to control the news, but I expected some communication or questions or warning first. Nothing, just Form 3434.

Ironically, my three‑year term would have expired at the end of this year anyway. They couldn’t wait.

I was immensely honored to be chosen as the 13th, and first female, ombudsman for Stars and Stripes. I’ve come to appreciate the many talented and dedicated journalists and staff at Stripes—it’s more than a job for them wherever they are stationed around the world. I’ve been fortunate to meet or hear from innumerable veterans, officers and enlisted personnel, and military spouses. I’ve even respected the colonels who I tangled with over the rights of Stripes reporters to cover public gatherings on bases.

What you can worry about is the future of Stars and Stripes. This newspaper has a long history of commitment to the military community and to journalistic values. Please don’t let it be controlled by Pentagon brass.