The editor-in-chief of Stars and Stripes, the publication that covers the U.S. military and is partially funded by the U.S. government, has been fired following an interview he gave to CBS News Sunday Morning in which he talked of censorship being a ‘red line’ for him.

Editor-in-Chief Erik Slavin Speaks Out Against Censorship

In an interview with CBS News, Erik Slavin, the editor-in-chief of Stars and Stripes, stated that he was being fired for stating in a CBS interview that censorship of news for service members would constitute a ‘red line.’ The Pentagon’s public affairs office has charged him with insubordination.

‘I stand by the principle that Stars and Stripes must remain editorially independent, as required by law and by the department’s own policies,’ Slavin said.

The firings come as a response to concerns that the Pentagon is chipping away at the independence of the publication. The CBS Sunday Morning report detailed concerns that the Pentagon was rescinding a federal regulation that Stars and Stripes operate ‘without news management or censorship.’ The ombudsman, Jacqueline Smith, was fired in the spring, and she told the network that she worried that ‘the endgame is turning Stars and Stripes into a public affairs propaganda machine.’

Mark Schoeff Jr., president of the National Press Club, said in a statement, ‘In firing the editor of Stars and Stripes, Pentagon leadership is making clear their view that the newsroom should exist not as an independent outlet whose reporting serves to benefit U.S. troops, but as a mouthpiece to parrot Pentagon talking points.’

Will Creeley, legal director of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, called the firings ‘an ugly, un-American attack on our free press.’

‘America’s brave servicemembers swore an oath to defend the Constitution. They deserve the free and independent press our Founders fought for 250 years ago, not Pravda-style propaganda,’ Creeley said.

Publisher Max Lederer and Reporter Lara Korte Also Receive Termination Notices

Publisher Max Lederer, who recently announced his retirement, and reporter Lara Korte, who also sat for the CBS News interview, which aired on Sunday Morning, per the network, have also received termination notices.

Korte posted on X, ‘Today, I was informed that the Department of Defense is firing me for insubordination after I told a CBS reporter that I work for Stars and Stripes – not the Pentagon, not any administration, and not any policy maker.’

A Pentagon official confirmed the separation notices, but the department declined to comment.

On Friday, Navy Capt. Bill Urban wrote in a notice posted on the Stars and Stripes website that he was the new military deputy to the publisher. He wrote that in meeting with the Office of the Secretary of War, he received ‘multiple assurances’ that they were committed to ‘the editorial independence of Stripes.’

He wrote to staffers, ‘There are no external editorial curbs on our journalists searching out and reporting significant stories. Carry on and ignore the noise. Stay professional and committed to the highest journalistic standards.’

He pointed to recent Stars and Stripes reports on the conditions of the USS Lincoln, and noted that there ‘was plenty of time between the initial report and the subsequent reporting for OSW to shut us down on the subject if they were not committed to our editorial independence.’

He also called for a bigger push into digital and social media. He wrote, ‘My vision for the future of Stars and Stripes is simple: More eyeballs on our content and more impact on our service members while maintaining the highest standard of professional journalism with the credibility that comes with editorial independence.’

Stars and Stripes has been published continuously since World War II and gets about half of its funding from the Pentagon and the remainder from advertising and subscriptions. It is set up to maintain its editorial independence from the military and government.