Editor of US newspaper Stars and Stripes reportedly fired under Trump - Al Jazeera

The Pentagon has fired the editor-in-chief and a top reporter of the military newspaper Stars and Stripes. The editor claims the termination was retaliation for his public defense of the publication's editorial independence.
Why it matters
This raises significant concerns regarding press freedom and government oversight of military-funded media outlets.
Editor-in-chief Erik Slavin has suggested his firing was retaliation for speaking out about editorial independence.
x whatsapp-stroke copylink google Add Al Jazeera on Google info The Stars and Stripes recently generated attention for its coverage of deteriorating conditions on board the USS Abraham Lincoln [File: Handout/US Navy via Reuters] By Al Jazeera Staff and The Associated Press Published On 21 Aug 2026 21 Aug 2026 The Pentagon has fired the editor-in-chief of the Stars and Stripes , a prominent United States military newspaper, as well as one of its top reporters.
Erik Slavin, the editor-in-chief, told The Associated Press (AP) news agency on Friday that he received a notice of separation, along with the newspaper’s Middle East reporter Lara Korte.
Another notice was sent to Max Lederer , the paper’s longtime publisher, who had previously announced he would retire at the end of September.
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