Pentagon Moves to Fire Stars and Stripes Leadership

The update

The Pentagon has issued separation notices to the publisher, editor-in-chief, and a reporter at Stars and Stripes, according to people familiar with the matter. Publisher Max Lederer, Editor-in-Chief Erik Slavin, and Middle East correspondent Lara Korte were all informed of their dismissals on Friday, with five days to appeal the decisions.

The Pentagon cited insubordination as the cause for the firings. Slavin and Korte stated the alleged insubordination was related to interviews they gave to CBS News for a piece that aired in July. In that interview, Slavin said censorship of news for service members would constitute a “red line” for him.

Why it matters

Stars and Stripes is a congressionally chartered, independent military news outlet partially funded by American taxpayers. The firings raise concerns about potential political influence over military journalism and the protection of editorial independence at a publication designed to serve service members and their families.

What to watch

Will the affected employees appeal their dismissals? How will Congress respond to these actions? Will there be any changes to Stars and Stripes’ editorial independence going forward?

Sources

• cbsnews.com — Details about the separation notices and statements from affected employees
• thehill.com — Context about the Pentagon's efforts to reshape Stars and Stripes coverage

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