Criticism of Pentagon Leads to Dismissal of Stars and Stripes Editor-in-Chief, Publisher, and Reporter
WASHINGTON: The U.S. Department of Defense has terminated the contract of the chief editor and publisher of Stars and Stripes, its famed independent newspaper since the Civil War days, that criticized what it said was Pentagon interference in editorial decisions.
According to Eric Slivaine, chief editor of the paper, he had been fired for insubordination after conducting an interview that criticized law enforcement officials over the increasing conflicts. The Pentagon earlier this year said it would try to influence the paper’s coverage to avoid some of its ideological influences, sparking worries by staff about editorial independence. In addition, Max Lederer, who had announced his retirement three days before, was also given a termination notice by the publisher alongside reporter Lara Korte, CBS News reported.
Fallout Over USS Abraham Lincoln Report and Editorial Independence
On X, Korte said she was told she had been fired for saying that she worked for her newspaper not the Pentagon’s policymakers. The punishment followed an investigative report that was released just days after the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln was rocked by a series of operating and living conditions issues that drew fresh criticism of the government’s Middle East war policies.
The Department of Defense provides some financial support for Stars and Stripes, but the publication has always operated with editorial independence. Recently, Slivaine had openly criticized the Pentagon’s instructions, stating that giving preference to defense approved information to factual reporting was an “unacceptable red line. In the interim, it was previously announced by publisher Lederer that he would be stepping down from his position on September 30 because of “fundamental disagreements” with new Pentagon oversight plans. The appointment of active-duty Navy Captain William Urban as deputy publisher has been harshly criticized by Democratic lawmakers, who say it’s an effort to taint the freedom of the historic publication. U.S. Defense Secretary Peter Hegseth, who took over command at the Pentagon in 2025, has been cagey with traditional media outlets on a number of occasions.