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Pentagon fires Stars and Stripes editor and journalists over editorial independence dispute
๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡ธ Serbia /Conflict & Security

Pentagon fires Stars and Stripes editor and journalists over editorial independence dispute

From N1 Serbia · () Serbian

Translated from Serbian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • The Pentagon dismissed the editor-in-chief of the military newspaper Stars and Stripes, along with a publisher and a journalist, over editorial independence disputes.
  • Editor-in-chief Erik Slavin stated he was fired for insubordination after criticizing potential censorship in the U.S. military.
  • The dismissals occur amid increased pressure on the media and Pentagon efforts to control the newspaper's editorial policy, despite its tradition of independence.

The Pentagon has fired the editor-in-chief of Stars and Stripes, Erik Slavin, along with publisher Max Lederer and journalist Lara Korte. Slavin reported his dismissal stemmed from insubordination following an interview where he voiced concerns about potential censorship within the U.S. military.

Slavin told the Associated Press that his termination was due to comments made in a CBS interview, where he described hypothetical censorship of news for military personnel as a "red line." He maintained his stance that the newspaper must preserve its editorial independence.

hypothetical censorship of news for military personnel would be a 'red line.'

โ€” Erik SlavinSlavin stated he was fired for insubordination after an interview where he criticized the possibility of censorship in the U.S. military.

Lederer, who had announced his retirement for late September, also received notice of termination, according to Slavin. Lederer had served at the publication for three decades, including as publisher since 2007.

These personnel changes come as the Trump administration intensifies pressure on the media. The Pentagon is also seeking greater control over the editorial direction of Stars and Stripes, a publication partly funded by the Department of Defense but long known for its editorial autonomy. In April, the Pentagon also dismissed the paper's ombudsman, Jacquelyn Smith, whose role was to safeguard its editorial independence.

the newspaper must retain editorial independence.

โ€” Erik SlavinSlavin told the Associated Press that he was fired for his statement in an interview for CBS that hypothetical censorship of news intended for military personnel would be a 'red line.' He added that he stands by the position that the newspaper must retain editorial independence.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by N1 Serbia in Serbian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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