Stars and Stripes publisher could be fired before planned retirement, sources say
Summary
Max Lederer, the long-time publisher of the military news outlet Stars and Stripes, may be fired before his planned retirement next month. This comes after the outlet reported on poor conditions on the USS Abraham Lincoln and ongoing tensions with the Pentagon and the Trump administration over editorial independence and the publication's direction.Key Facts
- Max Lederer has been publisher of Stars and Stripes for 19 years and planned to retire soon.
- Pentagon officials are discussing firing Lederer before his scheduled retirement.
- Stars and Stripes reported on bad conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln during its Middle East deployment.
- Lederer said his leadership views and the paper’s mission differ from the Department of Defense leadership’s direction.
- The Pentagon funds about 65% of Stars and Stripes but has pushed for changes to its content and operations.
- The Trump administration wants the paper to focus more on military topics like warfighting and weapons, avoiding broader news or critical stories.
- Jacqueline Smith, an editor who criticized Pentagon restrictions, was fired and later sued the Pentagon for retaliation.
- The Pentagon has limited press access and favored media outlets more supportive of President Donald Trump’s policies.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.
