Pentagon fires Stars and Stripes staffers after editorial independence comments

Miami, August 25, 2026—The Pentagon is acting directly against government transparency and press freedom by firing the longtime publisher, the editor-in-chief, and a senior reporter at Stars and Stripes newspaper, said the Committee to Protect Journalists on Tuesday.

Multiple outlets reported that the Pentagon dismissed Stars and Stripes publisher Max Lederer, Editor-in-Chief Erik Slavin, and Middle East correspondent Lara Korte on August 21 after they spoke in favor of the newspaper’s long-held editorial independence from the Department of Defense, which partly funds the outlet.

“The brazen firing of senior Stars and Stripes staffers raises serious concerns over how far the Pentagon is willing to go to control the narrative surrounding military actions and spending,” said Jose Zamora, CPJ’s regional director for the Americas. “Journalists covering U.S. military action must be free to report in the public interest without fear of government retaliation. The Pentagon should respect Stars and Stripes’ long-held editorial independence and allow reporters to do their jobs.”

The Pentagon’s firing of Stars and Stripes staffers follows larger attempts by the Defense Department, under the direction of Secretary Pete Hegseth, to control reporting on U.S. military action days after the outlet reported deteriorating living conditions aboard the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln amid a prolonged deployment in the Middle East.

In April, outlets reported that the Pentagon fired Stars and Stripes ombudsman and editorial independence steward Jacqueline Smith after Hegseth declared that he would exert editorial control over the newspaper to eliminate “woke distractions.”

Sean Parnell, Hegseth’s spokesman, in a January tweet on X said the newspaper will be reshaped to focus on “warfighting, weapons systems, fitness, lethality, survivability and ALL THINGS MILITARY.” he  “No more Associated Press reprints.”

CPJ’s emails to the Pentagon seeking clarification on editorial changes at Stars and Stripes did not receive an immediate reply.