Pentagon fires Stars and Stripes editor amid purge

The U.S. Army's newspaper, Stars and Stripes, is embroiled in a leadership crisis following the dismissal of its editor-in-chief, Erik Slavin. Slavin announced his termination on Friday, citing "insubordination" as the official reason. However, he stated the "red line" he would not cross was the censorship of military personnel news, which he had discussed in a previous interview with CBS.

Reuters reports that the Pentagon has also issued termination notices to other key staff members. William Gallo, the newspaper's Europe and Middle East Bureau Chief, informed staff that Slavin, long-time publisher Max Lederer, and another reporter received termination notices. Gallo assured staff that they would continue to pursue independent journalism within their legal duties.

Lederer, who was planning to retire at the end of September, noted in his farewell email that the Pentagon had established a "new vision" for the newspaper that differed from his own approach. Lara Korte, a reporter covering the Middle East for Stars and Stripes, also announced her termination on social media, stating her dismissal was because she said she worked for Stars and Stripes, not the Pentagon.

Stars and Stripes has published continuously since World War II, providing news to U.S. soldiers in various global locations. Despite receiving financial support from the Department of Defense, it has historically operated with editorial independence. However, under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, steps have been taken to increase Pentagon control. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell stated earlier this year that the newspaper's operations would be "modernized" and its content steered away from "woke discussions that negatively impact morale."

The Pentagon recently assigned a military official to assist the newspaper's publisher. Parnell shared a portion of a letter from this official on X, emphasizing the need for better service to U.S. Armed Forces members, even if replicating the newspaper's World War II impact in the digital age is challenging. This situation echoes a past attempt during Donald Trump's first presidency to close Stars and Stripes, a decision Trump later reversed. Press freedom advocates have voiced concerns about the Trump administration's actions.