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Stars and Stripes editor says he has been fired for insubordination after doing interview
The notices gave the three employees five days to appeal, after Pentagon leaders accused them of insubordination over objections to censorship.
On Friday, the Pentagon fired Stars and Stripes publisher Max Lederer, editor-in-chief Erik Slavin, and reporter Lara Korte, citing insubordination. The dismissals escalate recent friction between the newspaper's leadership and the Department of Defense.
Slavin stated he was dismissed for objecting to potential military censorship during a CBS interview, declaring that "Stars and Stripes must remain editorially independent." He stands by this principle.
Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell cited efforts to "refocus its content away from woke distractions that syphon morale" and bring Stars and Stripes into the "21st century" for its 1.4 million daily readers.
Lederer, who served 19 years as publisher and planned to retire on Sept. 30, received a Pentagon notice giving him five days to appeal his dismissal alongside Slavin and Korte.
Roughly half of Stars and Stripes' $29 million annual budget comes from taxpayers, while the outlet provides essential news in remote locations. The Department of Defense leadership maintains its vision differs in "fundamental ways" from the newspaper's mission.