Journalists sue Pentagon over firings
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
Three Stars and Stripes journalists sued the Pentagon over their firings, citing First Amendment violations.
The suit tests press independence for a military outlet funded by the Defense Department.
Background
Stars and Stripes is a government-funded news outlet that has long operated editorially independent from the military. The three journalists were fired last week after reporting on conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln and speaking publicly about editorial independence. They argue the firings were retaliation for their reporting and speech, violating their First Amendment rights.
How it unfolded
- Jul 5, 2026Slavin and Korte gave an interview to CBS News about editorial independence at Stars and Stripes, expressing concerns about censorship.
- Aug 20, 2026The three journalists were fired by the Pentagon, reportedly for insubordination.
- Aug 27, 2026Lederer, Slavin, and Korte filed a lawsuit in federal court in Washington against the Defense Department and Secretary Pete Hegseth, seeking to block their terminations.
Who’s saying what
- Plaintiffs
- The firings were retaliation for their reporting and speech, violating their First Amendment rights and federal law.
- Pentagon
- The Pentagon has not publicly commented on the lawsuit, but the firings were reportedly for insubordination.
- Legal Expert
- David Schulz of Yale Law School said the move to control Stars and Stripes is in step with the Pentagon's actions against the press corps.
Still unverified
The Pentagon has not publicly responded to the lawsuit; the specific reasons for the firings beyond 'insubordination' are as alleged in the lawsuit.