Stars and Stripes Under Fire | Philadelphia News

The Pentagon just fired three top editors at Stars and Stripes — publisher Max Lederer, editor-in-chief Erik Slavin, and Middle East correspondent Lara Korte — citing “insubordination,” though their real offense seems to be standing up for military community journalism over Pentagon control. This follows a pattern of tightening editorial reins: removing AP reprints, banning “woke distractions,” and ousting the ombudsman earlier this year. Now, a Navy captain with no journalism experience is stepping in as deputy publisher — a move that raises serious red flags about editorial independence. But history shows this isn’t the first time Stars and Stripes has faced this battle: during Vietnam, reporters and troops resisted military censorship, even when officials tried to rename them the “Hanoi Herald” or force euphemisms. Soldiers demanded truth, journalists pushed back, and eventually Congress created an ombudsman role in 1991 to safeguard press freedom. Though that position is now vacant, the legacy of resistance offers hope — the paper’s survival may depend on rallying both troops and reporters to fight for journalistic integrity once more. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/f4310a41e01b7390