The Pentagon has dismissed the editor-in-chief of the US military newspaper Stars and Stripes, as well as its publisher and a reporter, according to editor Erik Slavin. Slavin told the Associated Press that he and the others had received notices of separation from the Department of Defense.

He said he was dismissed for insubordination after giving an interview in which he objected to any potential censorship of news for US service members. “I was being fired for stating in a CBS interview that hypothetical censorship of news for service members would constitute a red line,” Slavin said.

He said he stood by the principle “that Stars and Stripes must remain editorially independent”.

Stars and Stripes receives some funding from the Pentagon but has a long history of editorial independence.

The dismissals come as the Trump administration faces growing criticism over its relationship with the news media, including tighter restrictions on journalists covering the Pentagon.

Publisher Receives Separation Notice

The newspaper’s publisher, Max Lederer, had announced earlier this week that he would retire at the end of September. Slavin said Lederer had also received a separation notice. Middle East reporter Lara Korte was also dismissed, he said.

Lederer had worked at Stars and Stripes for about three decades and had been its publisher since 2007. His retirement announcement came several weeks after the Pentagon appointed a new deputy publisher, an active-duty service member, without Lederer’s prior knowledge.

Three Democratic senators wrote to Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday asking why the new deputy had been appointed.

In a memo to staff announcing his retirement, Lederer said it had “become clear that my philosophy of leadership, and my understanding of the value and mission of Stars and Stripes, differ in fundamental ways from the direction the leadership of the Department of Defense has for the organization.”

Pentagon Increases Scrutiny

The changes at Stars and Stripes come as the Pentagon under Hegseth has moved to increase its control over media access and what it describes as “woke distractions”. The Trump administration has also taken a more confrontational approach towards several major news organisations during its second term.

The Pentagon has sharply restricted access for journalists covering the department, while the administration has engaged in policy and legal disputes with The Wall Street Journal, The Associated Press and The New York Times.

The administration has also used the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in disputes involving broadcast networks.

In April, the Pentagon dismissed Jacqueline Smith, the newspaper’s ombudsman, whose role included safeguarding its editorial independence.

Slavin’s dismissal has renewed questions about the future of that independence as the Pentagon increases its involvement in the newspaper’s operations.