In a blow to press freedoms within the US military, the Pentagon has forced out several top staffers at Stars & Stripes, the military publication with a long record of editorial independence.
Reporter Lara Korte confirmed to CNN that she was fired on Friday along with publisher Max Lederer and editor-in-chief Erik Slavin. CBS News and The Washington Post first reported the separation notices.
Lederer had already announced earlier this week that he would retire at the end of September. In a memo to staff, he wrote that “It has become clear that my philosophy of leadership, and my understanding of the value and mission of Stars and Stripes, differ in fundamental ways from the direction the leadership of the Department of Defense has for the organization.”
According to The Post, Slavin was told he was dismissed for “insubordination” for speaking to CBS News earlier this year. In July, “CBS Sunday Morning” aired a detailed report about Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s efforts to exert control over Stars and Stripes.
The newspaper “traces its roots all the way back to the Civil War. But in recent months, there are growing questions about its editorial independence,” anchor Jane Pauley said.
