Stars and Stripes publisher could be fired before planned retirement, sources say

Max Lederer, the long-serving publisher of the taxpayer-funded military news outlet Stars and Stripes, could be fired before his planned retirement next month. The potential dismissal comes just days after the outlet published reports detailing deteriorating conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier.

Pentagon officials have discussed firing Lederer, who has been publisher for 19 years, ahead of his scheduled departure, according to CBS News, which cited anonymous sources. Lederer had previously cited "fundamental differences" with the Trump administration's direction as the reason for his retirement. In a letter to staff, he stated, "It has become clear that my philosophy of leadership, and my understanding of value and mission of the Stars and Stripes, differ in fundamental ways from the direction of the leadership of the Department of Defense."

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It has become clear that my philosophy of leadership, and my understanding of value and mission of the Stars and Stripes, differ in fundamental ways from the direction of the leadership of the Department of Defense.

The outlet's reports on the Lincoln, currently on an extended deployment in the Middle East, were published around the same time as similar reports in the Navy Times. It remains unclear if these reports are directly linked to the discussions about Lederer within the Pentagon. However, Stars and Stripes has had a contentious relationship with the Trump administration on other issues as well.

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We need to be able to provide independent news to service members. 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.

Stars and Stripes editor Erik Slavin previously hinted at tensions with military leadership, emphasizing the importance of editorial independence from the Pentagon, which provides about 65% of the publication's funding. "We need to be able to provide independent news to service members," Slavin 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."

Earlier this year, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell stated the administration's intent to "bring Stars & Stripes into the 21st century," aiming to "modernize its operations, refocus its content away from woke distractions that syphon morale, and adapt it to serve a new generation of service members." The administration also indicated that Stars and Stripes would cease using wire services like Reuters and the Associated Press, focusing instead on "warfighting, weapons systems, fitness, lethality, survivability, and ALL THINGS MILITARY."

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We are bringing Stars & Stripes into the 21st century. We will modernize its operations, refocus its content away from woke distractions that syphon morale, and adapt it to serve a new generation of service members.