European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 16, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse The stars and stripes wednesday november 16,1988 uncovers news tampering at stripes army times reports by William j. Bartma Washington Bureau Washington investigators have uncovered examples of censorship and news manag spent at the stars and stripes newspapers according loan article based on a draft government report and published in this week s a times. In addition to incidents where news copy was tampered with inc general accounting office found that both the european and Pacific editions of the military newspaper us fewer negative stories about the armed services than they receive from the associated press and United press International the two major wire services. Congressional staff members who Areat work trin the report comment on the article until a Gao re Striction is lifted. The full report which will comments end of this month. The Gao investigation was launched Early this year at the Behest of sen. Wil Liam Proxmire d-wis., who persuaded Congress to investigate allegations of censorship by military commanders of the stars and stripes. In demanding the investigation prox mire criticized he Pentagon for sending soldiers overseas to protect Freedom while denying them one of the most important freedoms that we have in this country thai is inc right to a free press under the first although often incorrectly referred Loas one paper there arc two Siars and rope an edition. Defense officials already have recommended to Secretary of de sense Frank Carlucci that the military editors in chief of the newspapers a re placed by civilians a recommendation made by the Gao. The Gao also recommends thai investigative reporting be Lyra tied in theirs papers the article said. Tolje Gao found that in March 1987,47 Peg no of the wire service stories about had what the report called a generally negative image of the military. By Only 35 percent of the wire service Storino used in the european edition were neg Aliv and Only 27 per cent of those in the Pacific edition were considered negative. Concluding that this co Nivison a trying to coordinate a hearing on pears to prove allegations of Sta worship r $ findings said they could not and news management the or Tilc. _. _ in _ quote. Inc Gao As recommending Content analyses of the papers be incorporate defense department periodically to ensure the . Troops ii. Penis is due to be released by the the iwo different parts of the we add Are exposed to approximately the Saitie wire service reporting mates up More than to percent of each papers Content the Gao said. But the Pacific edition carried far fewer wire service reports on sensitive topics than the european paper. According to the report in march1987 the Pacific paper carried about half As Many stories As the european paper about aids half As Many stories about strategic issues such As the strategic de ,1 initiative and the Range nuclear forces treaty and 27 per cent fewer stories about the Iran Contr stripes one published in West Germany scandal. And the other in Japan. Designed str while the investigators found no dear serve As the Hometown paper Forse a evidence of censorship at the european overseas the newspaper Date 10 publication in France during world War i. / the Gao s findings were Jav towed Bya panel of professional journalists whose observations will be included in the final report. The army times reported that censorship problems were much greater at the 39,000-Circulalion Pacific Edi Tion than at the 134,000-circulation eur paper they did cite indications of higher commands trying to delay or stifle new stories which is in violation of defense department directives. For example in 1984 the paper was ordered not to use a wire service Story about a West German general fired from his nato Post for alleged homosexuality. Additional 1, the european command later barred the paper from running a letter to the editor critical of the decision not to use inc Story. Among other examples of a applied to the european edition in 19s7, Neucom obstructed it porting on the planned construction of an ornate portico at the command Shea quarters in Stuttgart wet Ger Many by not answering questions per Taining to the purpose and Cost of the portico. In not the com Mand said the que tons constituted investigative reporting which it said i prohibited Bylin Illary regulations. The command did provide a one sentence statement that the construction was needed for Security reasons and because the Fate of the building was deteriorating 1 a planned 1985 Story about an air Force proposal to place 100 flagpoles at each air base in Europe was killed in House the Gao said. In that Case the paper s managing editor suggested a Pho Sio graph of the poles would be sufficient Kew Ever neither Sloy nor in print. Cha Jerry Ryan a Neucom spokes Man. Sail monday he was not aware of the army than article and had not Seena draft of the cup report. Men Proctor the gnawing editor of the european edition Orue paper said he would have no commen con the Gao findings until the Agency tinal report is issued. Changes in copy or killing of ivories in the Pacific edition also have oaf rom internal pressures the Gao 1. The journalists panel said that the Milt Lary editor at the paper air Force col Edwin Montgomery has used a Call for balanced reporting As an All purpose weapon for killing a Story or delaying a Story or parrying the thrust of a Story in april 1987, the Gao said the Pacific editor decided not to publish � wire service Story critical of the air Force s management of the b-1i bomber pro Gram. Instead he ordered thai an air Force news service Story praising the b 1b be used. The journalists panel said the bib incident was an example of the military using the stars and stripes for Public relations rather than for news. News updates crime tudy issued Washington a nearly ,1 percent of american adults we being punished for crimes fasl year Wilb record numbers on r parole or probation a Justice department study said sunday. The report by the department Bureau of Justice statistics said that of the 3.4 million americans under the supervision of Federal stale or local corrections officers record 2.6 million men and women were either on probationer parole. Santa m Nica spill los anger is a Beach All wed to swim Sun Cilly Waters along d beaches that Hadfie three Days by a goers were Day in the seven Miles been closed sewage spill. S i Levels in Santa bathing an that could Kee surf Wert cold and Cloudy skies. Health office is deemed bacterial Onica Bay Safe for the Only things Rich people out of water temperature quake aftermath belting a regional officials estimated sunday that the powerful earthquake in Souther China caused More than i billion Yuan $268 million in damage but said the death toll May not Rise much higher. Latest reports from the quake area in Yunnan province near the burmese Border said More than300,000 houses were destroyed and 56,800 acres of crops were damaged the official Xinhua news Agency quoted Yunnan gov. He Shiqiang As saying. China s worst earthquake sincer Shook the southwestern Cor Ner do Yunnon on nov. 6, killing938 people and injuring More than 4,000 by official count. The deals toll which the chinese government released privately to . Aid agencies has not been published in the official Media. A leading seismologist had said the death toll could exceed 1,000. Rule for families rating m by Joseph Owen Stu Girt Bureau Stuttgart West Germany military family members eligible for free flights under the environment land morale leave program now May travel to the United slates under the program without their sponsors. The special leave is designed to give temporary Relief to military families living in countries where political or physical environments pose unusual hardships. A funded version of the program applies to countries where no regularly scheduled . Military flights Are available. -. ,. An unfunded version offers space available seats on regularly schedule military Airlift come flights to Mili tary families and defense department civilian employees in Greece Israel Liberia Norway Sardinia Sicily South Africa Turkey Zaire and parts of the soviet Union. /. It also allows travel on sporadic Mili tary flights from most other countries in Africa Eastern Europe and the mid dle East the unfunded program does not in clude extra leave Lime instead participants Are Given a High priority on Mac until october the european com required family members to Fly with their sponsors if they wanted to trave to the United Stales. That Rule a been dropped although family members Raveling alone under Mel have a lower priority for seat assignments. Navy it. Cmdr. John Dedon who manages the program in Europe said eligible passengers can take advantage of the special Mel status up to twice year however the program permits Only one Mel trip to the United state sin a 24-month tour of duty or iwo such trips during a 36-month tour. Only space required passengers those travelling on military orders have priority Over sponsor accompanied Mel passengers. 1 leave family members travelling on Mel without sponsors student travellers and personnel on permissive temporary duty and military retirees and other Eli Gible passengers sponsors still must accompany family members travelling to the United states for Normal leave. Mcdon said Many military families have complained about restrictions inthe Mel program because they Don t understand ils purpose. The program is not designed to fun Nel travellers Back Home for a vacation but simply to get them out of their cur rent environment he said. Therefore Mel travel usually ends at inc first Landing site offering Relief from the unfavourable political or physical conditions. Strict application of thai Rule in the past meant Many Mel travellers could Fly on military planes Only As far a West Germany where they would have to buy a commercial ticket for .connections. However Neucom designated West German military airfields As transit stations lost springy allowing Mel travel ers 10 continue flying to the United slates. _ the command also gave Aviano Abin Italy a similar designation in August giving personnel in Sardinia Access lowest Germany. " Dedon said unaccompanied family members should consider their Low Ravel priority before starting a trip to the United states that includes a transit Point Stop however. When they land in Germany the could be bumped by a Soldier who s going on Normal leave and wants lot Ravel space a. They be got to be pre pared to wait he said. One or More of the following d menu must exist before a country it designated an Mel site extreme Isola Tion substandard housing inadequate commercial transportation a tack of cultural and recreational facilities Dis ease Lack of Public sanitation or health control Adverse effects of climate or Altitude and miscellaneous life threat ening conditions. As Art example of the last condition the european come designate Athens Greece As an Mel site last May because of recent terrorist attack Sand political hostility against Ameri cans. ,. The move offers Relief not Only to americans stationed in Athens but also to those in Crete and Turkey who. Had been forced to disembark Nathens while Raveling under the Mel program
