Pentagon fires U.S. military newspaper leadership

JUST IN: The Pentagon fires the leadership of US military newspaper Stars and Stripes, with editor-in-chief Erik Slavin saying he was dismissed for 'insubordination' after saying censoring news for service members would be a 'personal red line'.

The Pentagon just fired the leadership of its own newspaper. Stars and Stripes, the paper that's served American troops continuously since World War Two, had its editor-in-chief, its publisher, and at least one reporter dismissed on Friday.

Editor Erik Slavin says his firing notice cited insubordination, because he told CBS that censoring news for service members would be a personal red line for him. Reporter Lara Korte says she was let go for saying she works for Stars and Stripes, not the Pentagon. The decision came from the top of the Defense Department, right here.

The paper takes Pentagon money but has always been editorially independent. That independence now has a military deputy attached to the publisher's office, and a spokesperson promising to do better for the troops. In his first term, President Trump actually saved this paper from being shut down.

So the hardest fact tonight is this. Journalists at a paper for American soldiers say they were fired for refusing censorship in advance.

This is Sara White, reporting for HIT.