Stars and Stripes reporter says independence "has to be instituted in practice"
Lara Korte, a Stars and Stripes reporter who was dismissed last week, told CBS News on Monday that the paper's editorial independence remains paramount.
August 24, 2026 / 3:26 PM EDT / CBS News
"I've certainly been bolstered to see comments from the Stripes' leadership and from the Pentagon that the Stripes is editorially independent," Korte said. "Obviously that's something that has to be instituted in practice, and I think that's something we're going to get an answer on in the coming weeks and months."
The Pentagon on Friday moved to fire Stars and Stripes' Publisher Max Lederer, Editor-in-Chief Erik Slavin and Korte, a reporter who covered the Middle East. The cause cited was insubordination. Slavin and Korte said the alleged insubordination was related to interviews they gave to CBS News for a piece on "CBS Sunday Morning" that aired in July.
Korte said Monday that she had spoken to her superiors about the interview and had spoken to other news organizations in the past. "It's not unusual for us to speak to other outlets. This is something that's normal and my editors were aware that I was doing it," Korte said.
In the "Sunday Morning" story, Korte said that she worked for Stars and Stripes, "not for the Pentagon, not for any administration, not for any policymaker. I'm here to cover the military community."