Pentagon fires military newspaper leadership for 'insubordination'
The editor-in-chief of Stars and Stripes said he was fired, alongside the newspaper's publisher and a reporter, for insubordination after he objected to potential editorial interference.
The US Department of Defense has terminated the editor, publisher, and a reporter at the military newspaper Stars and Stripes following their public objection to potential editorial interference, officials announced on Friday. The newspaper, established since World War II, is partially funded by the Defense Department but has maintained its editorial independence.
Slavin, Erik Slavin, editor-in-chief, was issued a separation notice for insubordination after stating in a CBS interview that hypothetical censorship of news for service members would violate his personal boundary. Publisher Max Lederer and Middle East reporter Lara Korte were also dismissed for insubordination. Lederer, who has been the publisher since 2007, had announced his retirement intentions in September, expressing that the Pentagon had a divergent vision for the newspaper.
Korte took to social media to explain her termination, asserting that she works for Stars and Stripes, not the Pentagon or any administration. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has been vocal in his criticism of the media since assuming office in 2025, including imposing stricter press access restrictions at the Pentagon. Hegseth's spokesperson, Sean Parnell, stated in January that Stars and Stripes would be tailored specifically to warfighters, focusing on military matters and excluding any non-military news.
The National Press Club President, Mark Schoeff Jr., condemned Slavin's firing as a deliberate attempt by the Pentagon to control military coverage, calling for its immediate reversal.
Written by urgent.news from DW English (Top Stories)'s reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
