The independence of an American military newspaper threatened after the dismissal of two editorial managers by the Pentagon

The Pentagon fired, on Friday August 21, two managers of the military newspaper Stars and Stripesfinanced in part by the Ministry of Defense but renowned for its editorial independence.

Erik Slavin, the editor-in-chief of the title, which has covered the U.S. military since the Civil War, told CBS News he was fired for “insubordination” after having mentioned in an interview with the channel his disagreements with the ministry, which had affirmed at the beginning of the year that it wanted to distance the coverage of Stars and Stripes of the “woke distractions”.

According to CBS, the publishing director, Max Lederer, was also informed of his dismissal. He had announced his retirement only three days earlier, explaining that his “understanding the value and mission of Stars and Stripes » diverged in ways “fundamental” Pentagon projects. A journalist from the daily, Lara Korte, also announced that she had been fired “for insubordination”.

Shortly before the announcement of Max Lederer’s resignation, Captain William Urban, an active naval officer, had been appointed military assistant to the publisher. A decision interpreted by many observers as an attack on the independence of the publication.

Tensions after a report on the USS “Abraham-Lincoln”

The layoffs come just days after the newspaper published a report describing difficult conditions aboard the USS aircraft carrier Abraham-Lincoln. The article sparked renewed criticism of President Donald Trump’s war against Iran.

The aircraft carrier left San Diego, California, in November 2025 for a mission in the South China Sea and was redirected to the Middle East before the United States and Israel launched war on Iran on February 28. Donald Trump declared that the building would be relieved after more than eight months of deployment, while the American army announced the arrival of a new carrier strike group in the region.

Mark Schoeff Jr., the president of the National Press Club — a professional organization for journalists — called Mr. Slavin’s dismissal “new blatant attempt by the Pentagon to dictate media coverage of military affairs”. “The firing of an editor after he publicly defended the editorial independence of his newsroom is deeply troubling and should concern every journalist and every member of the U.S. military who depends on independent reporting,” he added.

In April, the Pentagon fired Jacqueline Smith, the newspaper’s ombudsman, whose mission was to guarantee editorial independence.

“No more gossip columns”

“ Stars and Stripes will be tailor-made for our fighters,” wrote Sean Parnell, spokesperson for Pete Hegseth, the secretary of defense, in January on X. “The magazine will focus on combat techniques, weapons systems, physical fitness, lethality, survivability and everything related to the military. No more recycled Washington gossip columns »he explained.

These measures come as the Trump administration, during its second term, adopts an increasingly hostile attitude towards the media, in particular by severely restricting access to the Pentagon for specialized journalists.