Pentagon moves to fire publisher and editor of Stars and Stripes

Washington — The Pentagon has given separation notices to both the publisher and the editor in chief of Stars and Stripes, the U.S. military news outlet partly funded by American taxpayers, according to people familiar with the matter.

The notices, delivered Friday, gave publisher Max Lederer and editor in chief Erik Slavin five days to appeal their dismissals. 

The cause cited was insubordination, one of the people familiar with the matter said. The person did not elaborate on the details of the alleged insubordination.

A Defense Department spokesman declined to comment when contacted Friday afternoon by CBS News. 

Lederer has served as the outlet’s publisher for 19 years and told colleagues this week that he would retire on Sept. 30, citing fundamental differences with the Trump administration. Slavin has spoken publicly, including to CBS News, about disagreements with Pentagon leaders. 

CBS News reported on Wednesday that Pentagon officials had discussed dismissing Lederer before his scheduled retirement.

In a note to staff earlier this week that was obtained by CBS News, Lederer wrote: “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.” 

But he added he would “do everything I can to make sure the transition is smooth for each of you” before his retirement.

Stars and Stripes has been a source of critical information for members of the military and their families for decades, and has prided itself on editorial independence. 

Recently, Stars and Stripes, along with the Military Times, reported on challenging conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, writing that family members of service members aboard the aircraft carrier were concerned about their loved ones’ mental health and risk of self-harm. Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and President Trump downplayed or denied those reports, but the ship left the Middle East this week to begin the journey home to the U.S. after a nine-month deployment.

Roughly half of Stars and Stripes’ $29 million annual budget comes from taxpayers, a person familiar with the newspaper’s operations said. Readership has declined since its peaks during the Vietnam War, the Cold War and World War II, according to two U.S. officials, but an average of 1.4 million people see Stars and Stripes each day. Print editions overseas also reach service members in remote locations where internet access is spotty and unreliable. 

Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell has talked about “bringing Stars and Stripes into the 21st century” and efforts to “refocus its content away from woke distractions that syphon morale, and adapt it to serve a new generation of service members.”