US military newspaper editor fired amid censorship fears
The dismissals of Stars and Stripes editor Slavin and Middle East reporter Lara Korte are linked to a CBS interview, raising concerns over press freedom at the Pentagon.
An editor at Stars and Stripes, the US military's newspaper, and its Middle East reporter Lara Korte say they have both been fired for insubordination. Both link their dismissals to an interview they gave last month to CBS's Sunday Morning programme, according to BBC's US partner CBS News.
Stars and Stripes also reported that its publisher, Max Lederer, has been fired. Lederer had announced his retirement on Tuesday, saying his understanding of the paper's value and mission differed in "fundamental ways" from the Pentagon's plans for the publication.
No official explanation
Slavin, who has worked at the paper for 21 years, told the PM programme he was given no official reason for his dismissal and cannot appeal the decision, though he is considering his response. He said he does not know whether the firing relates to the paper's earlier coverage of conditions aboard USS Abraham Lincoln, a warship deployed in the Gulf for months amid the US-Israeli war with Iran. The vessel has spent a record uninterrupted period at sea of more than 240 days, and sailors' families have raised concerns about crew mental health, with some sailors reportedly attempting to jump overboard.
Slavin noted the dismissal came as the Pentagon has held no press conference since May, and amid journalists resisting attempts to interfere with their reporting. Korte wrote on X that it was a shame for the institution and for service members who swore to defend the Constitution and deserve a free, independent press. Mark Schoeff Jr, president of the National Press Club, called Slavin's firing another attempt by the Pentagon to dictate military coverage, which he said should be reversed.
Stars and Stripes reaches an average of 1.4 million people daily, mostly online, according to CBS, and is still printed outside the US for service members with unreliable internet access. In October, major US outlets including the New York Times, Washington Post, CNN and the BBC rejected a new Pentagon policy requiring journalists to only report officially authorised information to keep building access, with the administration saying the change was needed for national security.
