--- title: "Christian Devine named acting publisher of Stars and Stripes" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/media/christian-devine-named-acting-publisher-of-stars-and-stripes" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/christian-devine-named-acting-publisher-of-stars-and-stripes" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/media/christian-devine-named-acting-publisher-of-stars-and-stripes.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/christian-devine-named-acting-publisher-of-stars-and-stripes" category: "Media" area: "United States" published: "2026-10-15T01:46:11.185Z" source_reported: "2026-10-14T17:56:11.794Z" updated: "2026-10-15T01:46:11.185Z" trust_score: 78 critic_score: 95 hype_score: 15 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-10-15T02:45:11.585801+00:00" --- # Christian Devine named acting publisher of Stars and Stripes *Pentagon public affairs executive to hold dual role following recent staff dismissals.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 78 of 100, higher is better. Multiple outlets name Devine and official statements, giving strong corroboration. - Craft 95 of 100, higher is better. Context, quotes, dates and next steps earn high critic score. - Hype 15 of 100, lower is better. Straightforward reporting with no sensational language yields low hype. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Christian Devine, a Pentagon public affairs executive, has been appointed acting publisher of Stars and Stripes. - Devine will hold both his Pentagon role and the acting publisher position simultaneously. - The appointment follows the recent dismissal of Stars and Stripes editor-in-chief Erik Slavin and reporter Lara Korte. - A lawsuit filed by former ombudsman Jacqueline Smith against the Pentagon will proceed, though she was not reinstated. Christian Devine, an executive director and principal adviser in the Pentagon's public affairs office, has been appointed acting publisher of the Stars and Stripes newspaper. Devine will continue in his Pentagon role while serving in the interim publisher capacity, splitting his time between the two positions. The appointment was made by chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell. This appointment follows the recent dismissal of Stars and Stripes editor-in-chief Erik Slavin and reporter Lara Korte. These dismissals occurred less than two months prior to Devine's appointment. The Pentagon stated the dismissals were for insubordination after the two staff members spoke to CBS about alleged Pentagon pressure on the publication. The newspaper's former publisher, Max Lederer Jr., was also dismissed. Separately, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta declined to reinstate former Stars and Stripes ombudsman Jacqueline Smith. However, the judge allowed her lawsuit against the Pentagon to proceed. Smith claims she was fired for a column criticising a Pentagon policy that barred the paper from running comic strips. ## Disagreement on Devine's authority Military.com reported that a Stars and Stripes official stated Devine intends to allow the acting editor-in-chief to continue making routine editorial decisions. The official added that Devine is responsible for directing business operations, including financial oversight and personnel actions. The same official said Devine is expected to act in the best interest of Stars and Stripes and the Department of War, with the editorial team continuing to operate under principles of editorial independence. ## What the coverage left out None of the right-rated digests mention the lawsuit filed by former ombudsman Jacqueline Smith or the statement by Senator Elizabeth Warren regarding potential censorship. The sole left-rated digest does not mention Christian Devine by name, the specific roles of the dismissed staff, or the ongoing lawsuit. ## Who covered it Shares of the 10 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 10% (1) - Centre: 30% (3) - Right: 60% (6) 1 of 11 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-10-15T02:45:11.585801+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 7 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-10-15T03:30:12.732Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - Axios, the sole left-rated report, framed the leadership change as part of the Pentagon's "public messaging fight." The digest did not mention Christian Devine by name or detail his appointment as acting publisher. It also did not mention the dismissals of Erik Slavin or Lara Korte, nor the lawsuit filed by Jacqueline Smith. ### Centre - The centre-rated reports from Military.com, The Hill, and Stars and Stripes all focused on the appointment of Christian Devine as acting publisher. Military.com, which provided a full report, detailed Devine's dual role and his Pentagon background. It also covered the recent dismissals of Slavin and Korte, the ongoing lawsuit by Jacqueline Smith, and Senator Elizabeth Warren's concerns about censorship. The Hill's digest noted Devine's appointment followed staff firings, while Stars and Stripes' digest identified Devine by name and his Pentagon role. ### Right - The right-rated reports from Bizpac Review, thedailybs.com, nytimespost.com, democraticaccent.com, Fox News, and The Daily Caller all highlighted the Pentagon appointing one of its own public affairs officials as the interim leader of Stars and Stripes. Most of these digests described the newspaper as "historically independent" and noted that Devine would split his time between his Pentagon role and the acting publisher position. None of these digests mentioned the lawsuit filed by Jacqueline Smith or the concerns raised by Senator Elizabeth Warren. **Provisional coverage gap:** left. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - low: 2 - mixed: 4 - high: 1 - unknown: 1 - veryHigh: 3 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [starrs.us](https://starrs.us/pentagon-public-affairs-takes-over-historically-independent-magazine) — Pentagon Public Affairs Takes Over Historically Independent Magazine - [Bizpac Review](https://bizpacreview.com/2026/10/14/pentagon-public-affairs-takes-over-historically-independent-magazine-1663260) — Pentagon public affairs takes over historically independent magazine - [thedailybs.com](https://thedailybs.com/2026/10/14/pentagon-public-affairs-takes-over-historically-independent-magazine) — Pentagon public affairs takes over historically independent magazine - [nytimespost.com](https://nytimespost.com/pentagon-appoints-its-own-public-affairs-executive-as-acting-stars-and-stripes-publisher) — Pentagon appoints its own public affairs executive as acting Stars and Stripes publisher - [democraticaccent.com](https://democraticaccent.com/pentagon-appoints-its-own-public-affairs-executive-as-acting-stars-and-stripes-publisher) — Pentagon appoints its own public affairs executive as acting Stars and Stripes publisher – Democratic Accent - [Fox News](https://foxnews.com/media/pentagon-appoints-public-affairs-executive-acting-stars-stripes-publisher) — Pentagon appoints its own public affairs executive as acting Stars and Stripes publisher - [The Daily Caller](https://dailycaller.com/2026/10/14/pentagon-public-affairs-takes-over-stars-stripes) — Pentagon Public Affairs Takes Over Historically Independent Magazine - [The Hill](https://thehill.com/policy/defense/6147373-pentagon-appoints-acting-stars-stripes-publisher) — Pentagon taps DOD public affairs official as Stars and Stripes publisher - [Military.com](https://military.com/pentagon-names-one-of-its-public-affairs-officials-to-run-stars-and-stripes) — Pentagon PR Official Takes Over Stars and Stripes Months After Editor, Publisher Kicked Out - [Stars and Stripes](https://stripes.com/theaters/us/2026-10-13/acting-publisher-stars-and-stripes-23141863.html) — Pentagon public affairs official named acting publisher of Stars and Stripes - [Axios](https://axios.com/2026/10/13/pentagon-stars-stripes-publisher-appointed) — Pentagon names public affairs official Stars and Stripes acting publisher ## Questions **Who has been appointed acting publisher of Stars and Stripes?** Christian Devine, an executive director and principal adviser in the Pentagon's public affairs office, has been appointed acting publisher of Stars and Stripes. He will hold this role concurrently with his existing Pentagon responsibilities. **Why was the previous editor-in-chief dismissed?** Stars and Stripes editor-in-chief Erik Slavin and reporter Lara Korte were dismissed for what the Pentagon called insubordination. This followed an interview where they discussed alleged Pentagon pressure on the publication. **Will the former ombudsman's lawsuit proceed?** Yes, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta declined to reinstate former ombudsman Jacqueline Smith but allowed her lawsuit against the Pentagon to continue. She claims she was fired over a column criticising a Pentagon policy. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/media/christian-devine-named-acting-publisher-of-stars-and-stripes. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Christian Devine named acting publisher of Stars and Stripes", https://mediabias.news/media/christian-devine-named-acting-publisher-of-stars-and-stripes