Congress Must Support Stars and Stripes Paper, Press Leaders Say

News provided by

Sep 08, 2020, 15:03 ET

WASHINGTON, Sept. 8, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Congress must fund the Stars & Stripes newspaper, and Defense Department officials must state their commitment to sustaining support for the news organization, leaders of the National Press Club and the National Press Club Journalism Institute said Tuesday.

The Trump administration had sought to cut off funding in the coming fiscal year for the storied newspaper that principally serves the U.S. military, ostensibly to save money, though Stars and Stripes' annual appropriation of just under $16 million is but a drop in the oceanic national defense budget of nearly three quarters of a trillion dollars per year.

President Donald Trump said via Twitter on Sept. 4 that he plans to reverse the proposed funding cut, but Congress has yet to send the White House a final defense spending bill for fiscal 2021.

"While President Trump's reversal is encouraging, lawmakers need to ensure follow-through by providing the funds for Stars and Stripes, and the Defense Department leadership needs to publicly affirm its continued support for the newspaper going forward," said National Press Club President Michael Freedman. "Stars and Stripes is too important to this country, and especially to its service members, for any uncertainty to linger about its future."

Stars and Stripes traces its roots to the Civil War. The paper has long been a connection to news about the military and word from home, which has been especially important for forces overseas. While it is government-sponsored, it has maintained editorial independence.

"Stars and Stripes has always provided and continues to provide information service members need and want about issues that matter to them," said Angela Greiling Keane, president of the National Press Club Journalism Institute. "The United States should continue to provide this information lifeline to those who give so much for all of us."

The National Press Club, the World's Leading Professional Organization for Journalists™, represents more than 3,000 reporters, editors and professional communicators worldwide. The National Press Club Journalism Institute promotes an engaged global citizenry through an independent and free press, and equips journalists with skills and standards to inform the public in ways that inspire civic engagement.

PRESS CONTACT: Lindsay Underwood for the National Press Club; [email protected], (202) 662-7561

SOURCE National Press Club