Pentagon Fires US Military Newspaper Editor-In-Chief, Two Others Over Censorship Warning

Last Updated:August 22, 2026, 04:40 IST

Pentagon fired Stars and Stripes editor-in-chief Erik Slavin, publisher Max Lederer, and reporter Lara Korte for insubordination after Slavin objected to potential censorship.

The Pentagon, the headquarters for the U.S. Department of Defence. (AP file photo)

The Pentagon has fired the editor-in-chief of Stars and Stripesalong with the newspaper’s publisher and a reporter, amid a dispute over editorial independence and potential military censorship.

Erik Slavin, editor-in-chief of the military newspaper, said he was dismissed for insubordination following comments in a CBS interview in which he warned that censoring news for US service members would cross a “red line”.

Slavin told The Associated Press that he and the other two employees had received notices of separation.

“I stand by the principle that Stars and Stripes must remain editorially independent,” Slavin said.

‘Red line’ over potential censorship

Slavin said his dismissal was linked to his comments that hypothetical censorship of news intended for service members would constitute a red line.

Publisher Max Lederer and Middle East reporter Lara Korte also received separation notices, according to Slavin. Korte was reportedly cited over the same CBS interview.

Lederer had announced earlier this week that he would retire at the end of September. He had served at Stars and Stripes for three decades and as publisher since 2007.

The developments come as the Trump administration faces criticism over its increasingly restrictive approach towards the news media, including limits on access for journalists covering the Pentagon.

Pentagon steps up oversight

The dispute follows the Pentagon’s installation of Navy Capt. William Urban as a military deputy to the publisher, reportedly without Lederer’s prior knowledge.

Three Democratic senators wrote to Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday seeking an explanation for Urban’s appointment.

Urban told the AP he remained the “Military Deputy to the Publisher” and could not comment on his future role.

Lederer had previously raised concerns about the Pentagon’s direction for the newspaper, saying his understanding of its mission and editorial values differed fundamentally from that of Defence Department leadership.

The Pentagon has moved to exert greater control over Stars and Stripes while seeking to remove what it describes as “woke distractions”.

In April, the department also fired Jacqueline Smith, the newspaper’s ombudsman, whose role included protecting its editorial independence.

Stars and Stripes is partly funded by the Pentagon but has historically maintained editorial independence while reporting for US military personnel and their families.

(With inputs from AP)

Key Questions Answered

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What happens to Stars and Stripes’ independence now?

The firing of Stars and Stripes’ editor-in-chief, publisher, and a reporter, along with the previous dismissal of its ombudsman, suggests a potential weakening of the newspaper’s editorial independence. The Pentagon has been seeking to exert greater control over Stars and Stripes and remove “woke distractions”.

Could this affect other military news outlets?

The Pentagon’s actions against Stars and Stripes, including the firing of its editor-in-chief and others, are part of an increasingly restrictive approach towards the news media by the Trump administration, which includes limiting access for journalists covering the Pentagon. This suggests that other military news outlets could also be affected by similar measures.

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