Stars and Stripes news organization is committed to a set of core values detailed in a message from our publisher.

News organizations operate in a complicated information environment. As media outlets have become more partisan, sometimes publishing content that is not balanced, the voice of the local community is lost. These are challenges that we seek to overcome while sustaining the vital role Stars and Stripes serves for the military community. Below are the core journalistic values that guide our publishing. I believe these values are what keep Stars and Stripes a trusted and valued news source for our readers.

Credibility is the greatest asset of any news medium, and impartiality is its greatest source of credibility. Impartiality means reporting and editing the news honestly, fairly, and objectively without personal opinion or bias. Journalism’s core mission is truth-telling, which requires accurately reporting facts and context.

Nothing is more sacred to us than the readers’ trust in us. A journalist’s role is not to determine what they believe to be the truth and reveal only that to their readers. They must report all verifiable facts as completely and impartially as possible, so that readers can, based on their own knowledge and experience, determine what they believe to be true.

A news organization must not just cover the news but uncover it. It must follow the story wherever it leads, without allowing preconceived ideas to filter the search for facts or replace the discipline of verification. We are accountable for our work and publish corrections promptly.

When a news organization delivers both news and opinions, its impartiality and credibility can be questioned. To minimize this, a clear distinction must be made between the two. Stars and Stripes maintains a strict separation between news and opinion. We do not write opinion pieces. Instead, we publish a balanced selection of external viewpoints.

These principles are not mere slogans. They are commitments that guide every aspect of our work. Any breach of these standards undermines the credibility of our organization, our profession, and each of us as individuals.

Max D. Lederer Jr.

Publisher, Stars and Stripes