The Pentagon has fired the editor-in-chief of Stars and Stripes, alongside its publisher and a reporter, after the top editor spoke out against censorship.
Erik Slavin, editor-in-chief of the military newspaper, partially funded by the Pentagon but with a history of editorial independence, told The Associated Press that he and others received separation notices.
The action comes as the Trump administration intensifies its stance against news media, having already sharply curtailed press corps access at the Pentagon.
The executive branch has also pursued legal and policy disputes with outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, The Associated Press, and The New York Times, alongside utilizing the FCC to target broadcast networks.
Slavin said he was terminated "for stating in a CBS interview that hypothetical censorship of news for service members would constitute a red line."
He maintained his stance "that Stars and Stripes must remain editorially independent."
Earlier this week, publisher Max Lederer announced he would retire at the end of September. Slavin noted that Lederer was also given a separation notice, as was Middle East reporter Lara Korte.
Lederer made his announcement several weeks after the Pentagon assigned an active duty service member as deputy publisher beneath him without his knowledge. On Thursday, three Democratic senators wrote to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth asking why the new deputy was appointed.
Lederer, who spent 30 years at the newspaper and served as publisher since 2007, leaves as Hegseth’s Pentagon moves to assert editorial control and eliminate what it labels "woke distractions."
In a memo to staff, Lederer, the second full-time civilian publisher, wrote that it had "become clear that my philosophy of leadership, and my understanding of the value and mission of Stars and Stripes, differ in fundamental ways from the direction the leadership of the Department of Defense has for the organization."
In April, the Pentagon also fired Jacqueline Smith, the newspaper’s ombudsman whose role involved safeguarding editorial independence.
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