Pentagon Fires Stars and Stripes Editors Over Carrier Report

The Pentagon on Friday fired three senior staff members of the military newspaper Stars and Stripes, including Editor-in-Chief Erik Slavin, Publisher Max Lederer, and Middle East correspondent Lara Cortes, citing insubordination . Slavin said his dismissal followed a CBS interview where he stated that censorship of news for service members would be a "red line" . Korte was fired for stating she works for Stars and Stripes, not the Pentagon . The firings follow the paper's August 11 reporting on dire conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, including food shortages and mental health crises among the 5,000 crew . The Pentagon has been tightening control since March, issuing a memo requiring content to align with "good order and discipline" and barring wire service reprints . The paper's ombudsman was fired in April, and advisory board members sued in June over "unlawful censorship" . Slavin stated he stands by the principle that Stars and Stripes must remain editorially independent