Pentagon Fires 3 Stars and Stripes Journalists as Slavin Warns on Editorial Independence
Updated
Updated · CBS New York · Aug 25
Pentagon Fires 3 Stars and Stripes Journalists as Slavin Warns on Editorial Independence
3 articles · Updated · CBS New York · Aug 25
Summary
Erik Slavin said his firing was a "real shock" and warned that whether Stars and Stripes stays independent from the Pentagon "time will tell."
Friday's terminations hit Slavin, publisher Max Lederer and reporter Lara Korte, with Slavin saying the cited insubordination stemmed from comments in a CBS interview about censorship being a red line.
The dismissals deepen scrutiny of a broader Pentagon overhaul: officials have pushed to modernize the paper, curb syndicated wire content and shift coverage away from what spokesperson Sean Parnell called "woke distractions."
Stars and Stripes gets roughly half of its $29 million annual budget from taxpayers yet has long operated independently, reaching about 1.4 million readers a day, including troops in remote overseas posts.
The clash fits wider tensions over military press access after the Pentagon tightened journalist rules, saw a judge strike down many restrictions, and then required reporters to be escorted inside the building.
Can a taxpayer-funded military newspaper maintain true editorial independence when its top leadership faces dismissal for speaking to the press?
How might the restructuring of this century-old publication impact daily information access for service members stationed in remote overseas locations?
Will ongoing federal lawsuits successfully block the Defense Department from expanding administrative control over this historic military newsroom?