Stars and Stripes editor says he was dismissed over comments on censorship
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The editor-in-chief of the U.S. military newspaper Stars and Stripes was fired by the Department of Defense, citing insubordination after remarks about hypothetical censorship, prompting concerns about press freedom.
The Pentagon dismissed Erik Slavin, the editor-in-chief of the Stars and Stripes newspaper, on grounds of insubordination, the agency said. Slavin, who has worked at the paper for 21 years, told the BBC he believes his termination was linked to comments made in a CBS Sunday Morning interview in which he said a hypothetical situation involving censorship would be a "red line."
"This is a time when we really need to hear what's happening," Slavin said, adding that Pentagon officials appear to be less willing to speak on the record.
The newspaper’s publisher and a reporter were also terminated, according to CBS News. Stars and Stripes, while partially funded by the Department of Defense, operates under a congressional mandate that guarantees editorial independence. Slavin announced his retirement shortly before the dismissals, noting a fundamental disagreement with the Pentagon’s plans for the publication.
The Department of Defense declined to comment on the firings. The dismissals occur amid broader tensions between the current administration and the media, including recent refusals by major outlets to accept new DoD reporting restrictions that would limit journalists to officially authorized information.
The National Press Club president, Mark Schoeff Jr., described the firing as an attempt by the Pentagon to influence military coverage. Stars and Stripes reaches an average of 1.4 million readers daily, primarily online, and continues to print editions for service members in locations with limited internet access.