Editor-in-chief of US military newspaper fears censorship following dismissal
The dismissals put the Pentagon-funded newspaper’s editorial independence in focus for US service members who rely on it for military news.
pühapäev, 23. august 2026 09:43
Stars and Stripes editor-in-chief Erik Slavin said he feared censorship a day after the US Department of Defense dismissed him for "insubordination", BBC News reported.
Slavin said Pentagon officials appeared to be "less and less inclined to speak on the record" and that he believed he was fired for saying in an interview that, "in a hypothetical situation, censorship would be a red line". The Pentagon said it would not comment.
Stars and Stripes Middle East reporter Lara Korte said she had also been told she was fired, also for insubordination. The newspaper reported that publisher Max Lederer was fired after announcing his retirement and saying his view of the paper’s value and mission differed in "fundamental ways" from the Pentagon’s plans.
Slavin, who has worked for the paper for 21 years, said he had not received an official explanation and was considering his response, although he was not allowed to appeal. He said he did not know whether the dismissal was linked to the paper’s reporting on conditions aboard USS Abraham Lincoln, which has spent more than 240 days at sea uninterrupted during deployment in the Gulf.
Stars and Stripes provides news to US troops worldwide and is partially funded by the Pentagon, while its editorial independence is protected by a congressional mandate and Defense Department rules. The sackings come amid tensions between the Trump administration and US media, including a Pentagon policy rejected by major outlets that would have limited access to journalists reporting only officially authorised information.
Toeta nwsTraili
nwsTrail on sõltumatu välisuudiste veebileht. Sinu toetus aitab hoida sisu tasuta.
