Published: Saturday, June 8, 2024
NEW YORK – The Washington Post’s publisher faces questions over whether he tried to hide his involvement in a British hacking scandal that occurred during his tenure working for Rupert Murdoch a ten years ago.
The week-long saga that began with the sudden departure of the Post executive editor on Sunday night offers a glimpse into the differences in approaches to journalism between Britain and the United States. It also touches on sensitive issues of trust within the American media as the country approaches a controversial and seismic presidential elections.
Will Lewis, the Post’s publisher and CEO has denied all wrongdoings in Britain or at the Post.
Lewis, the former publisher of The Wall Street Journal arrived in January in order to bring about a turnaround at The Post. The Post is in a state of financial distress and has seen its digital audience drop by half since 2020. Lewis is vice chairman of The Associated Press Board of Directors.
On Sunday, he announced a restructuring that excluded the top news executive Sally Buzbee. She was either forced to leave or refused to accept a promotion. Buzbee has been the Post’s newsroom director for the past three years. She was the top executive in the AP. She hasn’t spoken about her departure.
The New York Times reported this week that Lewis had told Buzbee, in a telephone conversation with him last month, that an update in Prince Harry’s litigation regarding the phone hacking controversy did not merit coverage in The Post.
This case was a sprawling one involving the alleged interception of voicemails from celebrities and royals in Britain by Murdoch’s newspapers. In a civil lawsuit, plaintiffs alleged Lewis’ involvement in efforts to quell trouble by destroying evidence. Lewis denies this.
The Times reported that Lewis had told Buzbee it would be a mistake to publish the story. The article was published. The Post stated Friday that this account was incorrect and Lewis didn’t pressure Buzbee to not publish any stories. The newspaper stated that to suggest otherwise would be completely false.
Buzbee didn’t respond to a Friday message from the AP requesting comments on her own characterization.
It’s considered unethical in mainstream American journalism for a publisher, especially one who is involved, to be involved in such decisions.
David Folkenflik, a media reporter for National Public Radio, wrote on Thursday that Lewis had “repeatedly, and heatedly,” offered NPR a special interview about his plans before he became the Post’s CEO. This was in exchange for Folkenflik to drop a story he was working on about Lewis’ involvement in the hacking phone case.
Folkenflik declined, and the article ran on December 20, 2023.
When asked about this, Lewis called Folkenflik a journalist instead of an activist, telling the Post that: “I had a conversation off the record with him before joining the Post, and six months later, he has dusted down the conversation and come up with some excuse to create a story out of a nonstory.”
Folkenflik stated that the offer was confirmed later by a representative of the press.
He said, “Certainly, journalists at The New York Times and CNN as well as in his own newsroom concluded that the stories I wrote about him this week and before were newsworthy.” “I believe that’s what the jury has decided about our carefully reported journalism.” “He can say whatever he wants but it won’t change the fact that this is still happening.”
Lewis admitted in an email sent to his staff on Friday that he needs to improve how he communicates and listens. He invited staff members to join him for a series next week of discussions on his restructuring plan.
Lewis wrote: “I’m sure trust has been lost due to scars in the past and the back and forth from this week.” “Let’s put those things behind us and assume the best intentions.” You will be able to see our future in a new light if we do this. We don’t need to agree on everything, but we are all committed to building The Post’s future and mapping it out together.
Lewis stated in his Post comments that he had decided to not talk about his work dealing with the aftermath the phone hacking controversy. Lewis said that he had decided to not talk about his job dealing with the aftermath of the phone hacking scandal.
Lewis was raised as a British journalist, where the style of reporting is more raw. Robert Winnett was Lewis’ former colleague at the Daily Telegraph. He has now hired him as an editor in the Post restructuring. One of the biggest stories about misused expense accounts by MPs was based partly on records that were reportedly purchased by the newspaper. This approach would be prohibited in most American newsrooms.
Lewis has stressed the urgent need for action, even though some Post journalists expressed concerns and questions about the restructuring plan he is pursuing. In a staff meeting this week, Lewis told his colleagues that he couldn’t sugarcoat the fact that “people don’t read your stuff.”
The turmoil at the most important source of political journalism in the country comes at a sensitive time. A month before the Republicans will nominate Donald Trump as president, and the campaign to unseat incumbent President Joe Biden is set to begin.
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This report was contributed by Jill Lawless, Associated Press correspondent in London.
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David Bauder is a media writer for The Associated Press. Follow him at http://twitter.com/dbauder.