Pentagon officials considering firing longtime Stars and Stripes publisher, sources say

Stars and Stripes Publisher Faces Possible Dismissal Ahead of Retirement

Wertynews.com – Washington — In a move that underscores the Trump administration’s broader push to reshape military media, Pentagon officials have weighed terminating the longtime publisher of Stars and Stripes before his planned departure from the role, according to U.S. officials who spoke with CBS News. The deliberation comes amid a sweeping effort to overhaul the taxpayer-supported military news outlet.

Max Lederer, who has held the publisher’s seat for 19 years, informed colleagues this week that he will step down on Sept. 30. He attributed the decision to deep philosophical clashes with the current administration’s direction for the organization. Editor-in-Chief Erik Slavin has also spoken publicly — including to CBS News — about friction with Pentagon leadership. No timeline was given for when a final leadership decision would be rendered, and Defense Department spokespeople did not respond immediately to requests for comment.

Readership Decline and Operational Criticism

Public records indicate the publication’s audience has eroded since its wartime and Cold War peaks. Print circulation dropped from roughly 7 million copies annually in 2019 to 6.2 million by 2024. Unique visitors to stripes.com fell approximately 30 percent over the same span, sliding from 20 million to 14 million per year. Pentagon personnel noted that unopened stacks of the paper have accumulated in buildings, even though service members can reach the same articles online through other channels.

A separate line of criticism targets the outlet’s reliance on aggregated content rather than original reporting. Records show the publication was projected to spend around $400,000 this year on subscription services for third-party material appearing on its pages. It has dropped wire services such as Reuters and The Associated Press — a departure from standard newspaper practice of using wire copy to fill gaps in staff coverage.

Administration’s Stated Vision

Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell has outlined the desired transformation on social media, describing a goal of “bringing Stars and Stripes into the 21st century.” In a January post he wrote:

“We will modernize its operations, refocus its content away from woke distractions that syphon morale, and adapt it to serve a new generation of service members.”

He added that the outlet would “focus on warfighting, weapons systems, fitness, lethality, survivability, and ALL THINGS MILITARY. No more repurposed DC gossip columns; no more Associated Press reprints.”

CBS News has reported that an average of 1.4 million people encounter Stars and Stripes daily — predominantly online, though a print edition continues to reach service members in remote postings where internet access is unreliable. Roughly 65 percent of the outlet’s funding flows through the Defense Department.

Lederer’s Farewell and the Question of Independence

Asked for comment, Lederer told CBS News by email on Wednesday that he was not comfortable doing an interview before leaving his post. In a Tuesday note to staff, obtained by CBS News, he wrote:

“It has 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.”

He added that through the end of September, “I will do everything I can to make sure the transition is smooth for each of you.”

A Legacy of Editorial Independence

For decades the newspaper has built its identity around editorial separation from the Pentagon’s public-affairs machinery. It has reported on internal military failures — deteriorating housing, barracks problems, and allegations of neglect at military child-care centers — and has published pieces critical of service policies and leadership.

During World War II, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower famously championed the paper, insisting it remain “free from propaganda” and free of influence from military brass, according to a December 1988 GAO report to Congress that examined allegations of military censorship of Stars and Stripes.

More recently, the outlet has covered the Middle East war and its implications for troops. It was among the first news organizations to report on families of sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier confronting the acting Navy secretary over a nearly nine-month deployment.

The administration has also tightened media access around the Pentagon. News organizations, CBS News included, were required in 2025 to vacate their workspaces inside the building unless they accepted newly imposed policies. The ombudsman for Stars and Stripes was dismissed in April, days after publishing an opinion column in the newspaper.