Pentagon Fires Senior Staff at Military Newspaper Stars and Stripes

The United States Department of Defense has dismissed the top editorial leadership and a foreign correspondent at the military news publication Stars and Stripes after members of the newsroom publicly voiced concerns over potential editorial interference by government officials. Editor-in-Chief Erik Slavin, Publisher Max Lederer, and Middle East reporter Lara Korte were all served with formal notices of separation citing insubordination as the primary reason for their removal.

In a statement released on Friday, Slavin explained that his termination notice explicitly cited remarks he made during an interview with CBS News. During the interview, Slavin remarked that any prospective news censorship affecting military readers would cross a “personal red line.” Korte similarly confirmed her firing on social media, writing that defense officials cited insubordination after she told a CBS journalist that she works directly for Stars and Stripes, rather than for the Pentagon, any political administration, or government policymakers.

Lederer, who has served as the newspaper’s publisher since 2007, had previously announced his intention to retire from his executive role in September. In an email sent to staff regarding his upcoming departure, Lederer remarked that defense leadership possessed a new strategic vision for the outlet that differed fundamentally from his own. His retirement decision came just weeks after Pentagon officials appointed Navy Captain William Urban, an active-duty service member, to the role of deputy editor without informing Lederer beforehand.

These administrative actions occur against a backdrop of tightening media controls established under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has significantly reduced press access at the Pentagon since taking office in 2025. In January, defense spokesman Sean Parnell publicly outlined the administration’s goals for the newsroom in a post on the platform X, writing that Stars and Stripes would be “custom tailored to our warfighters.” Parnell stated that the paper would prioritize topics such as military fitness, weapons systems, combat lethality, and survivability while eliminating reprints from news wires like the Associated Press and political reporting focused on Washington.

Press freedom organizations swiftly condemned the dismissals. National Press Club President Mark Schoeff Jr. called the actions an alarming attempt to control military coverage and demanded Slavin’s immediate reinstatement. Schoeff warned that firing editorial leaders for defending independent journalism undermines both the press and service members who rely on unfiltered reporting.

Background

Stars and Stripes is an editorially independent news outlet that receives partial funding through the U.S. Department of Defense. Published continuously since World War II, the newspaper provides news coverage specifically produced for U.S. service members, defense personnel, veterans, and their families stationed domestically and overseas.