The Pentagon has dismissed three key personnel at Stars and Stripes amid disagreements regarding the outlet’s delivery of “independent news” to its audience.
Reports indicate that the U.S. Department of War (DOW) let go of Erik Slavin, the editor-in-chief, and reporter Lara Korte on Friday. Additionally, publisher Max Lederer, who recently announced his retirement, was also terminated. These decisions followed their refusal to allow the Pentagon—which financially backs the publication—to dictate its coverage.
While DOW has not commented publicly, a Pentagon representative confirmed to the Daily Caller News Foundation that the “separation notices are real.”
In a post on X, Korte mentioned, “Today, I was informed that the Department of Defense is firing me for insubordination after I told a CBS reporter that I work for Stars and Stripes – not the Pentagon, not any administration, and not any policy maker.”
Korte and Slavin had previously voiced their concerns about Pentagon interference during a July interview on “CBS Sunday Morning.” Slavin emphasized the need for the outlet to provide independent news to military personnel, suggesting that if it shifted focus towards public relations, it would lose its purpose.
He indicated that the firing was related to that interview. In his retirement notice, Lederer pointed out that the outlet’s mission and that of the Pentagon fundamentally diverged.
Just weeks before Lederer’s departure, the Pentagon appointed U.S. Navy Capt. William Urban as deputy publisher. Urban expressed his commitment to ensuring editorial independence that serves service members and their families in a letter published Friday by Stars and Stripes.
This leadership change occurs alongside an apparent White House initiative to align the outlet’s goals more closely with its vision.
Sean Parnell, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs, previously stated on X that the aim was to modernize Stars and Stripes, redirecting its focus to military-related content and away from distractions he deemed detrimental to morale.
Moreover, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller assured reporters that he trusted the DOW’s decision-making regarding national security and personnel matters, expressing a strong belief that anyone fired had just cause.
