For more than 160 years, Stars and Stripes has walked a razor-thin line: serving the U.S. military while holding it accountable. Publisher Max Lederer says that balance remains as vital — and as fragile — as ever, noting that "our staff are paid by the Department of Defense" even as the newsroom is mandated to stay "balanced, objective, independent and impartial." Today, new Pentagon access rules, collapsing trust in media, and seismic digital shifts are putting that independence to the test. Lederer argues the mission endures because "we are dedicated to telling the story of the U.S. military community… from within the Department of Defense," a position no other newsroom occupies.

Access more at this episode's landing page, at:

https://www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/stars-and-stripes-at-a-crossroads-inside-its-mission-press-freedom-challenges-and-digital-future,258686