Pentagon Fires Stars and Stripes Leaders Over Censorship Clash
The Pentagon fired the editor-in-chief, publisher, and a reporter at Stars and Stripes on Friday. All three received notices of separation citing insubordination.
- Erik Slavin says he was fired for a CBS interview opposing potential censorship of military news.
- Max Lederer had led Stars and Stripes for 19 years and announced retirement before the notice arrived.
- Middle East reporter Lara Korte also received a separation notice, according to Slavin.
- Roughly half of Stars and Stripes' $29 million annual budget comes from taxpayer funds.
Why it matters: Stars and Stripes has provided independent news to U.S. troops and their families for decades, including in remote locations with unreliable internet access.
- The Pentagon fired the paper's ombudsman — whose job was to protect editorial independence — in April.
- Three Democratic senators wrote to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth this week asking why an active-duty deputy publisher was installed without Lederer's prior knowledge.
How 39 sources split on this story
Where they split: Whether the firings reflect legitimate management failures at the paper or improper government pressure on an independent press outlet.
Center coverage, 17 sources: The center presents the firings as a collision between editorial independence and the administration's push to reshape Pentagon-funded media, noting the broader context of press restrictions.
Associated Press1w+Stars and Stripes editor says he has been fired for insubordination after doing interview
BBC News1w+US military newspaper editor voices censorship fears after being firedCNCTV News1w+Stars and Stripes editor says he has been fired for insubordination after doing interview
Deadline1w+Pentagon Fires Editor Of Stars And Stripes After He Gave An Interview To CBS News And Called Potential Censorship A “Red Line”
Deutsche Welle1w+US: Pentagon fires military newspaper leadership
Forbes1w+Fired Editor Of Stars And Stripes Military Newspaper Says He’s Concerned About Censorship At The Pentagon
Japan Times1w+Pentagon fires Stars and Stripes leaders after they criticize interference
Jerusalem Post1w+Pentagon fires editor-in-chief of US military newspaper, reportedly for opposing censorship
Newsweek1w+Pentagon firing military newspaper editor raises First Amendment question
PBS NewsHour1w+Stars and Stripes editor, reporter fired for insubordination after doing CBS interviewLeft coverage, 15 sources: The left frames the firings as the Trump administration silencing an independent press outlet that serves military families, part of a broader campaign against media freedom.
CBS News1w+Pentagon moves to fire publisher and editor of Stars and StripesTBGThe Boston Globe1w+Pentagon fires editor, publisher of military publication
The Independent1w+Pentagon fires Stars and Stripes publisher after he gave an interview to CBS News over ‘hypothetical censorship’
Al Jazeera1w+Editor of US newspaper Stars and Stripes reportedly fired under Trump
CNN1w+Pentagon fires Stars and Stripes leaders amid Hegseth pressure campaign
Los Angeles Times1w+Stars and Stripes editor says he has been fired for insubordination after doing interview
Mediaite1w+Pentagon Raises Fears of Independent Newspaper Takeover After Top Editors Fired For CBS Interview
MSNBC1w+Stars and Stripes, buckling under Hegseth, loses its longtime publisher
Raw Story1w+Pentagon fires Stars and Stripes reporter for saying where she works: 'Badge of honor'
Salon1w+Hegseth fires "Stars and Stripes" journalists, deepens Pentagon press crackdown
The Guardian1w+Pentagon fires publisher and editor of US military news outlet Stars and Stripes
The New York Times1w+Pentagon Fires Editor and Publisher of Independent Military PublicationRight coverage, 7 sources: The right frames the removal as a justified accountability measure, citing anonymous Pentagon sources who describe Lederer as a poor performer who failed to modernize the outlet.
Fox News1w+Pentagon fires longtime publisher, editor, reporter from military newspaper Stars and Stripes
Newsmax1w+Pentagon Moves to Fire Stars and Stripes Leaders
New York Post1w+Pentagon fires longtime leaders from military newspaper Stars and Stripes for alleged insubordination
NewsBusters1w+CBS Frets Over Deportations to Africa, Changes at Pentagon Newspaper
RedState1w+EXCLUSIVE: Official: Fired Stars and Stripes Publisher Was ‘Lazy,’ Oversaw ‘Massive Decline’
The Gateway Pundit1w+Pentagon Fires Stars and Stripes Publisher, Editor-in-Chief, and Reporter for “Insubordination” * The Gateway Pundit * by Jim Hᴏft
The Washington Times1w+Pentagon fires Stars and Stripes leadership over editorial independence squabbleWhat’s next: Slavin and Lederer have five days to appeal their dismissals, per CBS News.
- The Defense Department declined to comment Friday; no statement has addressed the specific firings.
- Will the appeals succeed, and who will lead Stars and Stripes in the interim?
- How will the Pentagon define the paper's editorial mission after the leadership change?
- Does Congress have any authority to block or reverse the dismissals?