Pentagon Dismisses Stars and Stripes Editor, Reporter, and Publisher
The Pentagon has dismissed the editor-in-chief of Stars and Stripes, Erik Slavin, and a reporter, Lara Korte, along with the newspaper's publisher, Max Lederer, for insubordination. The dismissals followed public statements by Slavin and Korte opposing potential interference by the…
Houston, TX, August 21, 2026 —
The Pentagon has dismissed Erik Slavin, the editor-in-chief of Stars and Stripes, along with reporter Lara Korte and the newspaper’s publisher, Max Lederer. The dismissals were attributed to insubordination.
The actions by the Department of Defense followed public statements made by Slavin and Korte. These statements expressed opposition to what they described as potential interference by the Department of Defense in the editorial independence of the news outlet.
Specific details regarding the nature of the insubordination or the exact timeline of events leading to the dismissals were not immediately available. The roles of Slavin as editor-in-chief, Korte as a reporter, and Lederer as publisher were central to the operations of Stars and Stripes, a publication serving U.S. military personnel and their families.
Stars and Stripes has a long history of providing news and features relevant to the U.S. armed forces, operating with a degree of editorial autonomy. Concerns about maintaining this independence have been a recurring theme in discussions surrounding the publication.
The Department of Defense has not released further details regarding the specific reasons for the dismissals beyond the charge of insubordination. The future leadership and editorial direction of Stars and Stripes remain to be determined.
Story summarized from the original created by Jocelyn Noveck, Associated Press on www.click2houston.com, see more information here.
