Pentagon fires Stars and Stripes editor after censorship comments

Pentagon fires Stars and Stripes editor after censorship comments Erik Slavin remarked he was dismissed for insubordination after an interview in which he stated censorship would "constitute a red line." BrieAnna J.

Key points

• The Pentagon additionally fired publisher Max Lederer and Middle East reporter Lara Korte, according to the news outlets.
• The firings come months after the Pentagon dismissed the newspaper's ombudsman, a position Congress established in 1991 to protect its editorial independence.
• Will Creeley, legal director for the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, called the firings an "ugly, un-American attack on our free press."
• USA TODAY's coverage of First Amendment problems is funded through a collaboration between the Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners.
• According to Defense secretary, reports concerning poor conditions aboard the carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East were "completely misrepresented."

In practice, the editor-in-chief of the military newspaper Stars and Stripes was fired by the Pentagon on Aug. 21 after condemning "hypothetical censorship" in an interview, multiple news outlets documented.

Erik Slavin informed the Associated Press and The Washington Post he was dismissed for insubordination after a CBS interview in which he stated such censorship would "constitute a red line." He maintained that the newspaper "must remain editorially independent."

In practice, the Pentagon additionally fired publisher Max Lederer and Middle East reporter Lara Korte, according to the news outlets. CBS News had documented earlier in the week that the Pentagon was considering firing Lederer, citing unnamed administration office-holders.

In an Aug. 21 X post, Korte remarked her firing came after telling a CBS reporter "that I work for Stars and Stripes – not the Pentagon, not any administration, and not any policy maker."

For context, the firings come months after the Pentagon dismissed the newspaper's ombudsman, a position Congress established in 1991 to protect its editorial independence.

Stars and Stripes' website notes concerning half of its funding comes from the Defense Department and that it is "governed by the principles of the First Amendment." The Pentagon has been accused of violating those principles throughout President Donald Trump's second term, with ongoing lawsuits related to the press policy it implemented in 2025 and the removal of hundreds of books from its schools over perceived "wokeness."

National Press Club President Mark Schoeff Jr. Called Slavin's dismissal "another brazen attempt by the Pentagon to dictate coverage of the military" in an Aug. 21 news release and pressed the decision to be reversed.

"In firing the editor of Stars and Stripes, Pentagon leadership is making clear their view that the newsroom should exist not as an independent outlet whose reporting serves to benefit U.S. Troops, but as a mouthpiece to parrot Pentagon talking points, " Schoeff remarked. The Pentagon did not immediately return a request for comment.

"America's brave service members swore an oath to defend the Constitution, " remarked Creeley, whose nonprofit foundation advocates for free speech. "They deserve the free and independent press our Founders fought for 250 years ago, not Pravda-style propaganda. The United States is uniquely committed to freedom of the press, and has been since our founding. Accepting censorship means losing our national identity." This is a developing story.

BrieAnna Frank is a First Amendment reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected].

USA TODAY's coverage of First Amendment problems is funded through a collaboration between the Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners. Funders do not provide editorial input. Share your feedback to support improve our site!

In short, pentagon fires Stars and Stripes editor after censorship comments is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.