The firing of two senior Stars and Stripes editors has triggered a wave of condemnation from press‑freedom advocates, who say the Pentagon is attempting to exert unprecedented control over coverage of the US military.
National Press Club President Mark Schoeff Jr. called the dismissal of editor David Slavin “another brazen attempt by the Pentagon to dictate coverage of the military,” urging the Defense Department to reverse the decision immediately.
“Firing a newspaper editor after he publicly defended his newsroom’s editorial independence is deeply troubling,” he said. “It should concern every journalist and every member of the US military who depends on independent reporting.”
Slavin said he was fired “for stating in a CBS interview that hypothetical censorship of news for service members would constitute a red line.” Managing editor Korte, who appeared in the same interview, said on X that he was dismissed “for insubordination” after telling a reporter he worked for Stars and Stripes “not the Pentagon, not the administration, and not any policy maker.”
The turmoil comes just days after longtime publisher Max Lederer announced his retirement, effective at the end of September. His departure followed the Pentagon’s surprise installation of a new deputy publisher Navy Capt. William Urban, an active‑duty service member without Lederer’s prior knowledge. Three Democratic senators have written to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth demanding an explanation.
The moves unfold amid increasingly combative relations between the Trump administration and the press, including sharply restricted Pentagon access for defence reporters and legal clashes with major outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, The Associated Press and The New York Times. The administration has also used the FCC to target broadcast networks.
Slavin said he stands firmly by the principle that Stars and Stripes must remain editorially independent, “as required by law and by the department’s own policies.”
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