Pentagon Fires ‘Stars and Stripes’ Editor, Publisher and Reporter

The Pentagon on Friday moved to fire the editor-in-chief of Stars and Stripes as well as its retiring publisher and a civilian reporter who covers the Middle East for the news organization. Erik Slavin, the editor-in-chief, said he was being fired for insubordination after stating in a CBS interview last month that censorship of news for service members would constitute a red line in the Pentagon’s efforts to exert control over the newspaper.   “I stand by the principle that Stars and Stripes must remain editorially independent, as required by law and by the department’s own policies,” he said in…