Pentagon ousts Stars and Stripes editor, fueling fears over editorial independence

The Pentagon fired Stars and Stripes editor-in-chief Erik Slavin and Middle East reporter Lara Korte, along with long-time publisher Max Lederer, after leadership publicly defended the paper’s editorial independence amid tensions with Defense Department policy. Slavin says the firing followed remarks about censorship in a CBS interview, while the Pentagon frames it as refocusing Stars and Stripes on its original mission to report for warfighters. The shake-up, which also saw ombudsman Jacqueline Smith fired and Deputy Publisher William Urban appointed, drew criticism from press groups and lawmakers who warn the move undermines independent military journalism.