The Pentagon fired the editor-in-chief of Stars and Stripes, a top reporter and its retiring publisher, two of whom were dismissed for “insubordination,” the newspaper reported Friday.
This comes after Erik Slavin, the editor-in-chief, and Middle East reporter Lara Korte defended the quasi-independent military newspaper’s editorial freedom against perceived Defense Department interference in a reportedly unauthorized interview with CBS News.
They told the network that the Pentagon is moving to assert more control over the newspaper, sparking a conflict over its editorial mission.
Mr. Slavin told CBS that Stars and Stripes must provide independent news.
“We need to be able to provide independent news to service members,” he said. “If we can’t do that, if we were turned into something other than that, if we were public relations? Yeah, that’s the foxhole.”
When asked if he had any red lines, Mr. Slavin said, “’Don’t run a perfectly accurate story, run this instead. Here it is, written by the Pentagon.’ That would be a red line.”
He said in a statement, “I stand by the principle that Stars and Stripes must remain editorially independent, as required by law and by the department’s own policies.”
He added that he received a notice of proposed separation and is reviewing it.
“I’ll have more to say in the future. For now, I appreciate the encouragement and support I’ve received from so many people today,” he said.
The firings also follow Stars and Stripes reporting this month of taxing conditions, supply issues and mental health struggles among sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East, a story that military brass called bogus. The Washington Times has reached out to the Pentagon for comment on whether the layoffs were connected to the aircraft carrier report.
Ms. Korte said her firing came after she told a CBS reporter, “I work for Stars and Stripes — not the Pentagon, not any administration and not any policymaker.”
She said in a Friday social media post, “I consider it a great privilege to live alongside members of the military and share their stories. 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.”
Publisher Max Lederer Jr. was fired after announcing his retirement on Tuesday, telling staff that his understanding of the value and mission of Stars and Stripes differed in “fundamental ways” from the Pentagon.
Mr. Lederer reportedly refused to fire Mr. Slavin and Ms. Korte at the direction of Pentagon leadership.
Under the Trump administration, chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell stated an intent to rid the military-funded newspaper of “woke distractions” and refocus its content on warfighting and military readiness. The Defense Department subsequently moved to exert operational control, place restrictions on external wire services and install active-duty military oversight.
When asked by CBS what “woke distractions” meant, Mr. Slavin said, “I really don’t know what they were referring to, because they didn’t explain it.”
In April, the Pentagon dismissed the paper’s ombudsman, Jacqueline Smith, its editorial watchdog, after she raised alarms regarding editorial interference and restrictions imposed by DOD officials.
She filed a federal lawsuit in Washington in June against the Pentagon, alleging that her dismissal was a retaliatory firing.
Also that month in the District, two members of the Stars and Stripes advisory board filed a federal lawsuit accusing the Defense Department of violating the First Amendment and administrative law by trying to impose censorship and erode the newspaper’s editorial independence.
Contact the author
Please read our comment policy before commenting.