Publisher of US military newspaper resigns over differences with government

The Pentagon has fired the editor-in-chief of the Stars and Stripes, a prominent United States military newspaper, as well as one of its top reporters, escalating a confrontation over editorial independence that has drawn sharp criticism from press freedom advocates.

Erik Slavin, the editor-in-chief, told The Associated Press on Friday that he received a notice of separation, along with the newspaper’s Middle East reporter Lara Korte. Another notice was sent to Max Lederer, the paper’s longtime publisher, who had previously announced he would retire at the end of September.

Slavin credited the termination notices to the group’s decision to speak publicly about efforts to defend the editorial independence of the Stars and Stripes newspaper. While the Pentagon provides funding for the Stars and Stripes, the newspaper has worked to maintain its ability to report independently on military matters.

A Red Line on Censorship

Slavin, who has worked for the paper for 21 years, told the BBC’s PM programme that he had not been given an official explanation for his dismissal and was considering his response, even though he was not allowed to appeal. He said he did not know if it had to do with his paper’s original reporting of conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, which has been deployed in the Gulf for months. The vessel has spent a record-setting uninterrupted time at sea of more than 240 days, and family members of sailors have expressed concern about their mental health, with some sailors having reportedly attempted to jump overboard.

“According to the notice, I am being fired for stating in a CBS interview that hypothetical censorship of news for service members would constitute a personal red line,” Slavin said in a statement covered by multiple outlets.

In an interview with WTOP, Slavin said tensions between the Pentagon and Stars and Stripes staff had simmered since January. “There was a tweet put out by the Department of Defense Public Affairs that suggested radical changes without any prior consultation with the staff of Stars and Stripes,” he said.

In that post on X, Sean Parnell, spokesman for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, wrote: “Stars and Stripes will be custom tailored to our warfighters. … It will focus on warfighting, weapons systems, fitness, lethality, survivability and ALL THINGS MILITARY. No more repurposed DC gossip columns; no more Associated Press reprints.”

Korte, who covered the Middle East, was fired after telling CBS’s Sunday Morning that she works for “Stars and Stripes – not the Pentagon, not any administration, and not any policy maker,” as she posted on X. She added: “It's a shame for the institution and service members, who swore to defend the Constitution and deserve the right to a free and independent press.”

A Publisher’s Exit

Lederer, who had served as publisher for 19 years, announced his retirement in a memo to staff on Tuesday, writing that it had “become clear that my philosophy of leadership, and my understanding of the value and mission of Stars and Stripes, differ in fundamental ways from the direction the leadership of the Department of Defense has for the organization.”

The Guardian reported that Lederer could have been fired early, citing anonymous sources, just days after the outlet’s reporting on the Lincoln was published. The same day, the Navy Times published similar reports, but it remains unclear whether that coverage played a role in the dismissals.

A History of Independence

Founded in 1861 by Union soldiers who took over a Missouri newspaper office, Stars and Stripes has been a daily publication since World War I and played a crucial role in World War II. It is funded partly by the Pentagon—about 65%—but has operated editorially independent through a congressional mandate and DoD rules. An average of 1.4 million people consume its content daily, mostly online.

The Pentagon has not held a press conference since May, and journalists have faced increasing restrictions. Last year, dozens of journalists surrendered Pentagon credentials rather than agree to new restrictions, and a federal judge later blocked key portions of that policy. The Pentagon responded by closing the Correspondents’ Corridor and moving reporters to an annex outside the building.

Escalating Tensions

The firings come amid a broader campaign by the Trump administration to exert control over the military’s media operations. In January, the Pentagon rescinded a regulation that had prevented censorship of Stars and Stripes. Mark Schoeff Jr., president of the National Press Club, called Slavin’s firing “another brazen attempt by the Pentagon to dictate coverage of the military and should be immediately reversed.”

Lara Korte, one of the fired journalists, wrote on X: “It's a shame for the institution and service members, who swore to defend the Constitution and deserve the right to a free and independent press.”