Pentagon Moves to Fire Stars and Stripes Leaders
The Pentagon has issued termination notices to three senior figures at Stars and Stripes, the US military newspaper, citing insubordination amid a widening dispute over the publication’s editorial independence. Editor-in-Chief Erik Slavin, publisher Max Lederer and Middle East reporter Lara Korte were informed they would be dismissed.
Pentagon Targets Stars and Stripes Leadership
Slavin said his termination notice was linked to comments he made during a television interview in which he described hypothetical Pentagon censorship of news for service members as a personal “red line.”
Korte said she was also dismissed after publicly stressing that she worked for Stars and Stripes rather than for the Pentagon or any presidential administration. The employees have been given five days to appeal the termination decisions.
Lederer, the newspaper’s longtime publisher, had already announced plans to retire at the end of September after acknowledging significant differences between his vision for the publication and that of Defense Department leadership.
Editorial Independence at Centre of Dispute
Stars and Stripes receives funding from the US Defense Department but operates under protections intended to preserve its editorial independence. The newspaper provides military-focused news to American service members stationed around the world.
The publication’s Europe and Middle East bureau leadership has told employees that its journalists would continue independent reporting in accordance with its legal mandate despite the personnel changes.
Pentagon Pushes Stars and Stripes Overhaul
The Pentagon has been seeking changes at the publication under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Department officials have previously said they want to modernise Stars and Stripes and refocus its coverage toward issues they believe are more relevant to military personnel.
A military deputy to the publisher was also recently appointed as part of the restructuring. The Pentagon had not publicly detailed its response to the specific dismissal allegations when the terminations were reported.
