(CNN) — In a blow to press freedoms within the US military, the Pentagon has forced out several top staffers at Stars & Stripes, the military publication with a long record of editorial independence.
Reporter Lara Korte confirmed to CNN that she was fired on Friday along with publisher Max Lederer and editor-in-chief Erik Slavin. CBS News and The Washington Post first reported the separation notices.
Lederer had already announced earlier this week that he would retire at the end of September. In a memo to staff, he wrote that “It has 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.”
According to The Post, Slavin was told he was dismissed for “insubordination” for speaking to CBS News earlier this year. In July, “CBS Sunday Morning” aired a detailed report about Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s efforts to exert control over Stars and Stripes.
The newspaper “traces its roots all the way back to the Civil War. But in recent months, there are growing questions about its editorial independence,” anchor Jane Pauley said.
CBS correspondent David Martin interviewed both Slavin and Korte about their efforts to continue reporting despite the Pentagon pressure.
Korte told CNN on Friday, “I consider it a great privilege to live alongside members of the military and share their stories. These firings are a shame for the institution and service members, who swore to defend the Constitution and deserve the right to a free and independent press.”
“I’m proud of the work my colleagues and I do at Stars and Stripes, especially the last six months covering the protracted conflict in Iran,” Korte added. “Military families and service members have trusted us to share their experience with the world and I don’t take that lightly.”
The Pentagon declined to comment and referred CNN to an open letter published Friday from Navy Capt. Bill Urban, who was appointed “military deputy to the publisher” earlier this week.
In the memo, Urban introduced himself, asserted that Stars and Stripes is in need of “modernization” and said he received “multiple assurances” from Pentagon leadership that they are committed to the outlet’s editorial independence.
Several top Democratic senators objected to Urban’s appointment this week, writing in a letter to Hegseth that “The placement of an active-duty Public Affairs officer in the senior leadership of an organization whose credibility depends on its independence from the military chain of command raises serious questions.”
The firings on Friday drew condemnation from free-speech advocates. Will Creeley, legal director at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, wrote: “Firing journalists for complaining about censorship. Ugly and un-American.”
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