The Pentagon has dismissed senior leaders of the U.S. military newspaper Stars and Stripes, including its editor-in-chief and longtime publisher, Reuters reported on Friday, citing statements and a source familiar with the situation.
Editor-in-Chief Erik Slavin said he received a notice accusing him of insubordination after telling CBS News that any hypothetical censorship of content for service members would cross his personal “red line.”
A source familiar with the situation confirmed that the Pentagon had sent dismissal notices to the newspaper’s leadership. According to the source, publisher Max Lederer, who had planned to retire at the end of September, was also removed from his post.
In an email announcing his retirement this week, Lederer stated that the Pentagon had developed a new vision for Stars and Stripes that differed from his own.
Lara Korte, the newspaper’s Middle East correspondent, wrote on social media that she had also been fired. She said the decision followed her statement to CBS News that she worked for Stars and Stripes, not the Pentagon.
The Department of Defense did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Stars and Stripes has published continuously since World War II, providing news to U.S. service members worldwide. Despite receiving funding from the Department of Defense, the publication has historically maintained editorial independence.
The Pentagon recently appointed a military deputy to the newspaper’s publisher. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell released an open letter from the appointee stating that Stars and Stripes needed to improve how it serves U.S. troops amidst a changing media landscape.
During his first term as president, Donald Trump reversed an earlier Pentagon decision to shut down the newspaper. The personnel changes are taking place amidst criticism from press freedom organizations regarding the Trump administration’s policy of restricting journalists’ access to the Pentagon. These organizations argue that the measures limit oversight of the Department of Defense and undermine press freedom.
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