Pentagon Expands Press Freedom By Removing The Press
The Pentagon expanded press freedom Friday by firing Stars and Stripes publisher Max Lederer, editor-in-chief Erik Slavin and reporter Lara Korte, liberating the military newspaper from the cumbersome presence of people who practice journalism. Officials cited “insubordination,” the Defense Department term for believing an editorially independent publication should occasionally edit itself. Slavin had told CBS News that Pentagon-written coverage would cross a red line, while Korte persisted in the antiquated assumption that she worked for readers rather than whichever political appointee currently controls the office staplers.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s department has now modernized journalism beyond its obsolete fixation on obtaining facts without prior authorization. Under the improved system, Stars and Stripes will remain fully independent, provided every reporter independently reaches the conclusion preferred by management. “Nobody supports a free press more than I do, but it must be free from reporters, editors, questions, criticism and stories that make us look bad,” President Donald Trump explained. “Take away those things and you have tremendous freedom, probably the freest newspaper in the history of newspapers.” The new standard preserves the publication’s proud tradition while removing the hazardous portion in which journalists tell service members something the Pentagon did not write first.
The dismissals followed Lederer’s announcement that he planned to retire Sept. 30 because his understanding of the newspaper’s mission differed from Pentagon leadership’s. Officials resolved that disagreement efficiently by allowing him to begin retirement before he could continue having opinions indoors. Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell has pledged to eliminate “woke distractions” from the outlet, a category that now includes skepticism, accountability, unwelcome information, independent judgment and the divisive practice of asking a second question. Service members can therefore trust Stars and Stripes to continue producing fearless journalism, fearlessly approved in advance by the officials it covers. The Pentagon has secured press freedom by ensuring the press can no longer use it.
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