The U.S. Department of Defense has removed the leadership of Stars and Stripes, the military newspaper serving American service members worldwide since World War II, in a move that underscores shifting Pentagon priorities in military media operations.
Editor-in-Chief Erik Slavin received a dismissal notice accusing him of insubordination after he told CBS News that any attempt to censor reporting for military personnel would cross a personal red line. Publisher Max Lederer, who had planned to retire at the end of September, was also removed following an internal email this week in which he stated that the Pentagon had developed a new vision for the newspaper that diverged from his own. Middle East correspondent Lara Korte announced her dismissal via social media after she told CBS News that she worked for Stars and Stripes, not the Pentagon.
The changes follow the Pentagon’s recent appointment of a military deputy to oversee the newspaper’s publisher, a role intended to align its operations with a stated goal of improving how it serves members of the U.S. Armed Forces amid a changing media landscape. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell shared an open letter from the appointee asserting that Stars and Stripes needed to adapt to better meet the needs of service personnel.
Stars and Stripes has historically operated with editorial independence despite receiving funding from the Defense Department. The leadership shakeup coincides with broader criticism from press freedom groups regarding Trump administration policies that have restricted journalists’ access to the Pentagon, which critics argue limits scrutiny of the Defense Department and weakens press freedom.
The dismissals reflect a tightening of control over military-affiliated media under the current administration, following a prior attempt during Trump’s first term to close the newspaper, which was later reversed.
