Pentagon Fires Editor and Publisher of U.S. Military Newspaper
The news comes about a month after the editor stressed the importance of the newspaper’s independence in an interview, and a few days after the publisher announced his plans to retire.
The Pentagon has dismissed Erik Slavin, the editor-in-chief, and Max Lederer, the publisher, of the U.S. military newspaper Stars and Stripes. Slavin and Lederer were given five days to appeal their respective dismissals. Slavin claimed his removal was due to insubordination after stating during a CBS interview that hypothetical censorship of news for service members would be a "red line."
Lederer cited fundamental disagreements with the Pentagon's modernization plans for the newspaper, particularly the transition from print to digital, which he feared would hinder accessibility for service members. Lederer announced his retirement effective September 30, after nearly two decades as publisher, expressing dissatisfaction with the modernization strategy.
The dismissals follow the termination of Stars and Stripes' ombudsman, Jacqueline Smith, who criticized the department's plans to overhaul the newspaper, citing her First Amendment rights.
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