PRESS CONFERENCE
Suing the Pentagon
Max D. Lederer Jr., Former Publisher, Stars and Stripes
11:00-12:00 Monday, September 14, 2026
Language: The speech and Q & A will be in English.
In August, the Pentagon fired Max D. Lederer Jr., publisher of the Stars and Stripes U.S. military newspaper; Erik Slavin, editor-in-chief; and Lara Korte, Middle East reporter. They were dismissed for alleged "insubordination" in a move that followed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's efforts to exert control over the publication and end "woke distractions."
Lederer had earlier announced his retirement after decades at the helm of the newspaper, which has always enjoyed editorial freedom in covering the U.S. military. In April, the Pentagon fired ombudsman Jacqueline Smith, whose mandate from Congress was to protect the paper's independence.
Lederer, Slavin and Korte have now launched a federal lawsuit against the Pentagon, which partly funds the Stars and Stripes, alleging that it violated their First Amendment rights to speak out against government interference in their reporting. They claim their termination was the result of comments they made about editorial independence as well as their reporting on deteriorating conditions for sailors aboard the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln.
Please join us to hear Lederer give an account from the frontlines of the battle against the press waged by Hegseth and President Donald Trump.
How to attend:
Please register by emailing front@fccj.or.jp with your name and the name of your media outlet. FCCJ members should also include their membership number. Doors will open 15 minutes before the event.
How to watch online: https://www.youtube.com/c/FCCJchannel/live
How to ask questions: https://forms.gle/TJ1naS4TgDXQ9oh38
TV crew: Please make a reservation at front@fccj.or.jp. Doors open for TV crews only at 30 minutes before the event. FCCJ will limit live-streaming of FCCJ-hosted press conferences to Club members only. Non-members will no longer be permitted to live-stream these events. However, non-members may still film for reporting purposes and use footage after the press conference.
Professional Activities Committee