The Pentagon delivered separation notices on Friday, August 21, 2026, terminating the leadership of Stars and Stripes, the historic, semi-independent U.S. military newspaper that has covered the armed forces since the American Civil War.
​Those dismissed include Publisher Max Lederer, Editor-in-Chief Erik Slavin, and Middle East reporter Lara Korte. The Department of Defense cited “insubordination” as the official cause for the firings, granting the employees five days to appeal the decision.
​Speaking to media outlets following his dismissal, Slavin explained that the Pentagon’s charge of insubordination stemmed directly from a CBS Sunday Morning interview.
​”According to the notice, I am being fired for stating in a CBS interview that censorship of news for service members would constitute a red line,” Slavin told CBS News on Friday. “I stand by the principle that Stars and Stripes must remain editorially independent, as required by law and by the department’s own policies.”
​Reporter Lara Korte confirmed her termination in a statement on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, noting she was cited for her comments in the same CBS segment.
​”I told a CBS reporter that I work for Stars and Stripes, not the Pentagon, not the administration, and not any policymaker,” Korte stated. “These firings are a shame for the institution and service members, who swore to defend the Constitution and deserve the right to a free and independent press.”
​Publisher Max Lederer, a 30-year veteran of the publication who had served as publisher since 2007, had already announced his planned retirement earlier in the week. In a staff memo prior to receiving his separation notice, Lederer wrote that his “philosophy of leadership… differ[s] in fundamental ways from the direction the leadership of the Department of Defense has for the organization.”
​The dismissals reflect ongoing friction between the Defense Department, led by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and the news outlet. In January, Chief Pentagon Spokesperson Sean Parnell outlined plans to overhaul the paper, stating on X that the Department of Defense intended to “refocus its content away from woke distractions that syphon morale.”
​Tensions escalated earlier this summer when the Pentagon installed an active-duty officer, Navy Capt. William Urban, as Military Deputy to the Publisher without prior notification to newspaper management.
​Asked on Friday whether he would assume full duties as publisher, Capt. Urban stated via email: “I am currently the Military Deputy to the Publisher. I can’t comment on what my role will be in the future.”
​Press freedom organizations swiftly condemned the Department of Defense’s actions. Mark Schoeff Jr., president of the National Press Club, called the dismissals “another brazen attempt by the Pentagon to dictate coverage” and urged Defense Department leadership to reverse the decision immediately.
​The Pentagon confirmed the issuance of the separation notices on Friday afternoon but declined further official comment regarding ongoing personnel matters.
