US military paper 'Stars and Stripes' warns about threat to independence after Pentagon fires staff

The chair of the Stars and Stripes Publisher Advisory Board expressed deep concern over the Pentagon's decision to fire senior staff, which threatens the newspaper's editorial independence. Publisher Max Lederer, editor-in-chief Erik Slavin, and reporter Lara Korte were among those let go, receiving separation notices on Friday.

Slavin and Korte specifically cited their participation in an interview with CBS News as the reason for their dismissal, stating their commitment to covering the military community without bias. The Pentagon confirmed these firings and gave the three employees five days to appeal. Neither Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth nor the Pentagon elaborated further on the dismissals.

The Trump administration has previously criticized Stars and Stripes for alleged ideological bias, seeking to return the publication to its original mission of serving the military community. The Defense Department announced plans in January to overhaul the newspaper, aiming to eliminate what they called "woke distractions." This move follows the Pentagon's dismissal of the publication's congressionally mandated ombudsman earlier in the year, a decision met with opposition from Senate Democrats.