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 warned that the Pentagon's firing of senior staff threatens the military newspaper's editorial independence. Publisher Max Lederer, Editor-in-Chief Erik Slavin, and reporter Lara Korte received separation notices. Slavin said they were fired for participating in a CBS News interview where he argued censorship would be unacceptable. The Pentagon confirmed the firings and said the employees have five days to appeal. The Trump administration has criticized the publication over alleged ideological bias, and the Pentagon plans to overhaul Stars and Stripes to eliminate what it called 'woke distractions.'

The chair of the Stars and Stripes Publisher Advisory Board warned Friday that the Pentagon's firing of senior staff threatens the US military newspaper's editorial independence. Publisher Max Lederer, who announced his retirement this week, received a separation notice from the Defense Department and told employees in a farewell memo that he disagreed with the decision. Editor-in-Chief Erik Slavin and reporter Lara Korte also received notices Friday. Slavin said he and Korte were fired for participating in an interview with CBS News in which he argued that censorship of Stars and Stripes would be unacceptable. The Pentagon confirmed the firings and said the three employees have five days to appeal. Neither Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth nor the Pentagon commented further on the dismissals. The Trump administration has criticized the publication over alleged ideological bias. The Defense Department announced plans in January to overhaul Stars and Stripes and eliminate what it called 'woke distractions.' The Pentagon fired the publication's congressionally mandated ombudsman in April. She sued the government on First Amendment grounds in June. This month, the Pentagon installed active-duty Navy Capt. William Urban. Senate Democrats opposed the move in a letter to Hegseth, arguing it could further compromise the newspaper's independence.