Pentagon fires editor-in-chief of US military newspaper, reportedly for opposing censorship

The editor-in-chief of the Stars and Stripes, Erik Slavin, was fired according to the Pentagon for insubordination. Slavin reportedly opposed censorship of news for service members in an interview on CBS. The decision to dismiss Slavin and publisher Max Lederer, who was retiring, prompted a statement from Slavin saying the Pentagon had a new vision for the newspaper that conflicted with his own.

Lara Korte, a correspondent for the newspaper, was also reportedly fired for stating her affiliation with Stars and Stripes instead of the Pentagon to CBS News. The Pentagon has not commented publicly on the firings. In a post on X, a military deputy to the publisher emphasized the importance of continuing the newspaper's historical impact on service members despite the changing media landscape, promising to improve the newspaper's role for the US Armed Forces.