Pentagon Public Affairs Takes Over Historically Independent Magazine

The Pentagon has appointed one of its own public affairs officials as the interim leader of 165-year-old military newspaper Stars and Stripes.

Christian Devine, a principal advisor and executive director for the Pentagon’s public affairs department, will take over as acting publisher of the magazine. Devine will split his time between acting as publisher and his primary role in the Pentagon, Stars and Stripes military deputy to the publisher Navy Capt. Bill Urban informed Military.com.

“The Pentagon is proud to appoint Chris Devine to serve as acting publisher of Stars and Stripes,” Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell told the DCNF. “As a former Marine Corps colonel and a seasoned public affairs leader, Chris brings unmatched expertise, strategic vision, and a commitment to ensuring Stars and Stripes maintains editorial independence while delivering exclusive, mission-focused reporting that directly serves America’s warfighters and their families. In this interim role, he will provide decisive leadership to modernize Stars and Stripes and to strengthen its mission.”

Though no longer an active duty servicemember, Devine is still a Pentagon employee.

His appointment comes at a tumultuous time for the relationship between the paper and the Pentagon.

Stars and Stripes has served as an independent news outlet for military affairs since its founding in 1861 during the Civil War. Meant to represent the voice of the soldier rather than government interests, it has often been one of the only news sources available to deployed soldiers.

On January 15th, the Pentagon repealed the federal regulations guaranteeing the paper’s editorial independence. The same day, Parnell announced an overhaul to steer the paper away from “woke distractions,” Military.com reported.

Devine’s appointment comes less than two months after the firings of Stars and Stripes editor-in-chief Erik Slavin, publisher Max Lederer, and Middle East Reporter Laura Korte for an August CBS interview in which they spoke openly about disagreements with the new Pentagon measures. These firings line up with the publication of a story raising concerns about the well-being of sailors on the USS Abraham Lincoln. Lederer claimed in September the USS Abraham Lincoln coverage was a catalyst to the firings.

Devine “is expected to act in the best interest of Stars and Stripes and the Department of War,” a Pentagon official told Military.com.

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