Club President urges DOD to relax unfair restrictions on Stars and Stripes reporters

National Press Club President Emily Wilkins has issued the following statement on the proposed regulations governing reporters for Stars and Stripes newspaper:

"The Stars and Stripes, often described as “the hometown paper” of the nation’s military, needs our help. First published in 1861, the newspaper has a long tradition of serving the Americans who serve their nation. The newspaper’s editorial independence is guaranteed by Congress.

"So, it is concerning to learn, as we recently did thanks to a column by Stars and Stripes ombudsman Jacqueline Smith, that the news organization’s journalists are barred from using information learned from a request under the Freedom of Information Act – a law available to every other American – in their reporting.

"Access to government information and the right to use that information in news reports is fundamental to watchdog reporting – the kind of watchdog reporting we’d hope all Americans would want to see protecting the interests of our troops.

"The Pentagon has an opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to press freedom by removing the FOIA restriction and other limitations on Stars and Stripes reporters described in Smith’s column. As the Defense Department prepares to modernize regulations governing Stars and Stripes, we urge policymakers to follow the recommendations that Smith proposes.

"This would put Stars and Stripes reporters on equal footing with their civilian counterparts and guarantee that the nation’s enlisted men and women get the same access to information that all American citizens deserve.

"We urge Press Club members -- and all Americans who believe the First Amendment should apply to the people who defend it -- to add their comments here to the proposed regulations in the Federal Register.