Stars and Stripes editor fired over censorship concerns

Erik Slavin, the editor‑in‑chief of the US military newspaper Stars and Stripes, was dismissed by the Department of Defense (DoD) on Monday for “insubordination” after he spoke about censorship in a CBS interview.

In the interview, Slavin warned that “in a hypothetical situation, censorship would be a red line,” a statement that apparently displeased Pentagon officials who “have become increasingly reluctant to speak on the record” this year.

Slavin, who has served the paper for 21 years, says he was not given an official explanation for his dismissal and was not allowed to appeal the decision. He added that his firing may be tied to earlier coverage of conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, a carrier that has spent more than 240 days at sea during the ongoing US‑Israeli‑Iranian conflict.

In addition to Slavin, Stars and Stripes’ Middle East reporter Lara Korte and the publisher, Max Lederer, were also removed from their positions. Lederer stated shortly after his dismissal that he would retire, citing fundamental differences between his view of the paper’s mission and that of the Pentagon.

The newspaper, which is partially funded by the DoD yet remains editorially independent under congressional mandates, draws daily readership from an estimated 1.4 million soldiers worldwide. Many read the online content, and the paper continues to be printed for troops in regions with unreliable internet access.

The firings come amid a climate of strained relations between the Trump administration and the media. In October’s “new policy” the DoD tried to restrict journalists’ access to its facilities unless reporting could be justified as officially authorised, a move rejected by major outlets like the New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, and BBC.

An April 2025 court ruling forced the administration to restore the Associated Press’s access to presidential events after it was blocked following a dispute over terminology. Months later the White House broke with tradition and took control of the press pool for presidential coverage.

Mark Schoeff Jr., president of the National Press Club, described Slavin’s firing as “another brazen attempt by the Pentagon to dictate coverage of the military and should be immediately reversed.”

As tensions rise, the question remains whether Soldiers worldwide can still rely on an independent media voice in the armed forces.