The Pentagon has fired the publisher, editor-in-chief, and a reporter from the military newspaper Stars and Stripes, citing alleged insubordination. The dismissals involve longtime publisher Max Lederer, editor-in-chief Erik Slavin, and Middle East reporter Lara Korte.
According to reports, the firings stem from Slavin and Korte's participation in a "CBS Sunday Morning" segment that discussed the Pentagon's planned overhaul of the newspaper. Lederer was dismissed for refusing a directive from Pentagon leadership to terminate their employment.
Slavin stated in a released comment that he was fired for asserting that censorship of news for service members would be a "red line." He maintained that Stars and Stripes must uphold its editorial independence, a principle he believes is protected by law and departmental policy.
Korte, who joined the paper in 2024, posted on social media that she was informed of her dismissal for insubordination after stating to a CBS reporter that her allegiance was to Stars and Stripes, not the Pentagon or any political administration. She expressed pride in the work done by the newspaper, particularly its coverage of the conflict in Iran, and emphasized the importance of its role in sharing the experiences of military personnel.
Lederer, an Army veteran who has been with Stars and Stripes since 1992 and served as publisher for 19 years, had previously announced his intention to retire at the end of September. He cited "fundamental" differences with Pentagon leadership regarding the paper's direction as the reason for his departure.
The affected staffers have been granted five days to appeal their dismissals.
The Pentagon announced an overhaul of Stars and Stripes at the start of 2026, with Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell stating the goal was to return the publication to its "original mission: reporting for our warfighters." He indicated plans to modernize operations and refocus content away from "woke distractions" to better serve service members.
Pentagon Deputy to the Publisher Captain William Urban, in an open letter to stakeholders, expressed his vision for the paper to increase its digital impact and content engagement for service members while maintaining journalistic standards and editorial independence. He stated his aim was to focus on warfighting, weapons systems, fitness, and other military-specific topics, moving away from generic content.
Stars and Stripes has a history of reporting news relevant to service members. The Pentagon previously removed the paper's ombudsman in April, who had been a vocal critic of the Trump administration's oversight of the publication.