Summary
Erik Slavin, editor-in-chief of the US military newspaper Stars and Stripes, and two other staff members were fired by the Department of Defense for insubordination. The firings followed comments about media censorship and come amid tensions between the Pentagon and the press during President Donald Trump’s administration.
Key Facts
- Erik Slavin was dismissed as editor-in-chief of Stars and Stripes after 21 years with the paper.
- The Department of Defense cited "insubordination" as the reason for firing Slavin, reporter Lara Korte, and publisher Max Lederer.
- Slavin had said in an interview that censorship would be a "red line" in a hypothetical situation.
- Stars and Stripes, partly funded by the Pentagon, operates with editorial independence under a law and DoD rules.
- The Pentagon has not held a press conference since May, raising concerns about transparency.
- Publisher Max Lederer retired, citing fundamental differences with the Pentagon on the newspaper’s mission.
- The firings happened during a period of friction between the Trump administration and US media over press access and coverage.
- The National Press Club president called for reversing Slavin's firing, calling it an attempt to control military news coverage.
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