Stars and Stripes Publisher Retires Citing Pentagon Differences

Max D. Lederer Jr., the longtime publisher of Stars and Stripes, the US military’s independent newspaper, announced his retirement on Tuesday.

Lederer, who served as publisher for 19 years, stated his decision to step down was due to fundamental differences with the Trump administration. He wrote in a note to staff that his philosophy of leadership and understanding of the newspaper's mission differed in fundamental ways from the Defense Department's plans for the organization. His retirement is scheduled for September 30.

Stars and Stripes operates under the Department of Defense but maintains editorial independence. In recent years, the newspaper has been increasingly at odds with the administration over coverage and funding. Pentagon officials had discussed firing Lederer before his scheduled retirement as part of an effort to overhaul the military news outlet. The outlet receives about 65% of its funding through the Defense Department.

Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell posted on social media in January about bringing Stars and Stripes into the 21st century, stating, "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." Editor-in-Chief Erik Slavin has also spoken publicly about disagreements with Pentagon leaders.