The editor‑in‑chief of Stars & Stripes, the U.S. military newspaper, was dismissed by the Department of Defense (DoD) on Tuesday for "insubordination" after he warned in an interview that censorship could become a "red line".
According to the BBC, the dismissal follows a CBS Sunday Morning interview in which Slavin discussed the paper’s willingness to publish independent stories, including some that shed light on conditions aboard the warship USS Abraham Lincoln. The DoD has, in recent years, curtailed press access and tightened reporting guidelines.
Stars & Stripes has always been partially funded by the Pentagon but operates under a congressional mandate that ensures editorial independence. The paper’s publisher, Max Lederer, and Middle East reporter Lara Korte were also dismissed and have cited similar reasons for their termination.
The incident is unfolding amid a broader backdrop of tightening Pentagon‑press relations, including a recent policy that blocked journalists from entering DoD facilities unless they could only report approved information. Major outlets such as the New York Times, Washington Post, CNN and BBC have previously rejected such restrictions, and in 2025 a U.S. judge ordered the resumption of press access at presidential events.
Stars & Stripes reaches about 1.4 million readers daily, largely online, and continues to be printed for U.S. troops stationed in areas with limited internet. The firing of its editor, along with the publisher and a key reporter, has drawn criticism from press freedom advocates who argue that the Pentagon is attempting to control coverage of the military.
