Pentagon officials have discussed firing Stars and Stripes publisher Max Lederer before his planned Sept. 30 retirement, U.S. officials told CBS News, amid a Trump administration push to overhaul the partly taxpayer-funded military newspaper.
Lederer, publisher for 19 years, told colleagues this week he is retiring because of “fundamental differences” with Defense Department leadership over the outlet’s mission and value. Editor-in-Chief Erik Slavin has also publicly noted disagreements with Pentagon leaders.
No decision on leadership has been announced, and Defense Department spokespeople did not immediately comment.
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| Max Lederer |
Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell has said the outlet must be modernized, refocused away from “woke distractions,” and centered on “warfighting, weapons systems, fitness, lethality, survivability, and ALL THINGS MILITARY.” He has criticized “repurposed DC gossip columns” and Associated Press reprints.
The paper reaches an average of 1.4 million people daily, mostly online, with a print edition for troops in remote areas. Readership has declined: print copies fell from about 7 million in 2019 to 6.2 million in 2024, and unique website visitors dropped roughly 30 percent, from 20 million to 14 million annually.
Pentagon staff have noted unread stacks of papers and said the outlet largely aggregates other sources rather than producing original reporting. It projected spending about $400,000 this year on subscription content and no longer uses major wire services.
Lederer declined an interview before his departure, writing to staff that his leadership philosophy differs from the department’s direction and pledging a smooth transition through September.