The yard goodbye celebration for Sally Buzbee, the not too long ago departed government editor of The Washington Publish, was starting to interrupt up on Sunday night when the newspaper revealed a vital investigation into her everlasting successor.
The headline: “Incoming Publish editor tied to self-described ‘thief’ who claimed function in his reporting.”
The article centered on Robert Winnett, the British journalist poised to take over The Publish’s newsroom in November, and described his hyperlinks to a personal eye who used unethical media practices to land massive exclusives. It famous that Mr. Winnett had declined to remark to The Publish’s reporters — the identical ones he will likely be managing in a number of months.
The celebration was a farewell gesture by Patty Stonesifer, who was quickly The Publish’s chief government final 12 months and is an in depth ally of Jeff Bezos, the Amazon founder and the paper’s proprietor. As a part of her job, Ms. Stonesifer helped recruit the brand new everlasting chief government, Will Lewis, whose reorganization of the newsroom prompted Ms. Buzbee’s resignation.
However the upcoming article contributed to an sometimes awkward temper on the celebration, held at Ms. Stonesifer’s house in Washington’s upscale Cleveland Park neighborhood and attended by senior editors and executives, in response to two folks with information of the celebration.
It was simply the most recent uneasy second for folks at The Publish. Staff have been reeling in latest weeks from successive revelations about Mr. Lewis and Mr. Winnett, who’re charged with turning round certainly one of America’s high information organizations. A day earlier than the celebration, The New York Instances reported that Mr. Lewis and Mr. Winnett had used stolen data for newspaper articles earlier of their careers in Britain. The Publish declined to touch upon that article.
On the celebration, Ms. Buzbee stood as much as give remarks after Ms. Stonesifer inspired her to talk, three individuals who have been current stated.
Ms. Buzbee stated The Publish stood for holding highly effective folks and establishments to account — particularly when it was arduous to do. That remark, the folks on the celebration stated, struck some there as a observe of reward for The Publish’s aggressive protection of Mr. Lewis and Mr. Winnett over the previous two weeks.
The modifying of Sunday’s practically 3,000-word investigation was aided by Cameron Barr, a former senior managing editor who was introduced again as a advisor to assist shepherd The Publish’s protection of itself. Matt Murray, who’s overseeing The Publish’s newsroom on a brief foundation, informed editors final week that he had recused himself from involvement in certainly one of The Publish’s articles that instantly talked about him.
A spokeswoman for The Publish stated the newspaper coated itself “independently, rigorously and pretty,” including that Mr. Lewis had no function within the protection.
“Given perceived and potential conflicts, we’ve got requested former senior managing editor Cameron Barr, who stepped down from that place in 2023 and now has a contractual relationship as a senior affiliate editor, to supervise this protection,” the spokeswoman stated. She added that Mr. Murray and different high editors would assessment and supply suggestions as effectively.
The turmoil at The Publish began early this month when Ms. Buzbee abruptly resigned and Mr. Lewis introduced that she would get replaced quickly by Mr. Murray, a former high editor of The Wall Road Journal. On the similar time, Mr. Lewis introduced a serious restructuring of The Publish’s editorial hierarchy, together with a so-called third newsroom that might give attention to social media, innovation and repair journalism. Underneath the plan, Mr. Murray would run the brand new division after the November election, when Mr. Winnett would take over as editor of the core information protection.
Mr. Lewis, who began within the high function in January, has been charged with making the publication worthwhile once more after a number of years of massive losses. He has been blunt with the workers in regards to the firm’s enterprise struggles, together with a 50 p.c drop in viewers since 2020.
Days after Ms. Buzbee’s exit, The Instances reported that she and Mr. Lewis clashed within the weeks main as much as her resignation over whether or not The Publish ought to cowl a improvement in a phone-hacking court docket case involving Mr. Lewis. Mr. Lewis has denied pressuring Ms. Buzbee. In her feedback on the celebration on Sunday, Ms. Buzbee stated she was pleased with her conduct in her ultimate weeks on the paper.
As well as, an NPR reporter disclosed that Mr. Lewis had beforehand supplied him an unique interview if he stopped protecting the phone-hacking case. Mr. Lewis stated he’d had an off-the-record dialog with the reporter, whom he described as “an activist, not a journalist.”
The unfolding controversy has unsettled many Publish journalists. Some have mentioned amongst themselves whether or not Mr. Lewis and Mr. Winnett share their ethics, three folks accustomed to the matter stated.
On Monday, Mr. Murray tried to rally Publish editors throughout a morning assembly. He praised the paper’s article about Mr. Winnett and inspired them to stay centered on the journalism, in response to two folks accustomed to his remarks.
Mr. Lewis has already modified a few of his plans. This week he was anticipated to attend the annual Cannes Lions Worldwide Competition of Creativity, a glittering confab within the south of France the place advertisers and media grandees mingle over glasses of rosé.
Mr. Lewis had informed choose attendees that as a part of his go to, he was organizing a “severely glam dinner” at an upscale restaurant, La Colombe d’Or, that might be the perfect invite of the 12 months and “set the tone for the upcoming week.”
On Sunday evening, invitees bought a terse electronic mail: The dinner was off.
