Pentagon fires Stars and Stripes leaders amid Hegseth pressure campaign

In a blow to press freedoms within the US military, the Pentagon has forced out several top staffers at Stars and Stripes, the military publication with a long record of editorial independence. Journalism advocacy groups decried the firings and criticized Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for trying to manipulate independent news coverage of the military. Reporter Lara Korte confirmed to CNN that she was fired on Friday along with publisher Max Lederer and editor-in-chief Erik Slavin. CBS News and The Washington Post first reported the separation notices. Slavin said he was told that his dismissal was related to an interview he gave “CBS Sunday Morning.” “They cited the CBS interview, and they said that I was insubordinate for responding to a hypothetical about censorship, saying that it was a red line,” Slavin told CNN’s Erin Burnett. “I didn’t say I would disobey any sort of directive,” Slavin said.