Another One Bites the Dust: Washington Post's Latest Top Editor OUT Before Start Date
The Washington Post published a bombshell report exposing its incoming editor for his alleged involvement in unethical reporting practices.
June 21 2024, Published 3:00 p.m. ET
Robert Winnett, the British journalist who was tapped to become the new editor of The Washington Post, is no longer taking the job after recent reports raised questions about the ethics of his past journalistic practices, RadarOnline.com has learned.
"It is with regret that I share with you that Robert Winnett has withdrawn from the position of Editor at The Washington Post," the paper’s embattled CEO and publisher, Will Lewis, told staffers in an email on Friday morning. "Rob has my greatest respect and is an incredibly talented editor and journalist."
"It is with regret that I share with you that Robert Winnett has withdrawn from the position of Editor at The Washington Post," the paper’s embattled CEO and publisher, Will Lewis, told staffers.
"The leadership at The Telegraph Media Group are reaffirming his continued role as deputy editor," Lewis continued. "We will immediately launch a new search for Editor of our core coverage. We will soon announce both the recruiting firm and process we will utilize to ensure a timely but thorough search for this important leadership role."
Chris Evans, editor of London's Daily Telegraph, also confirmed the news to staffers, writing, "I'm pleased to report that Rob Winnett has decided to stay with us. As you all know, he’s a talented chap and their loss is our gain."
Lewis, who just became CEO and publisher of The Post in January, had appointed Winnett to lead the newsroom and replace executive editor Sally Buzbee following her abrupt departure amidst the restructuring.
Lewis, who just became CEO and publisher of The Post in January, had appointed Winnett to lead the newsroom and replace executive editor Sally Buzbee following her abrupt departure amidst the restructuring.
Lewis mentored Winnett for decades, and the pair previously worked together at British newspapers including the Telegraph and the Sunday Times — but the ethics of their reporting methods have since come under scrutiny.
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Lewis mentored Winnett for decades, and the pair had worked together at British newspapers including the Telegraph and the Sunday Times — but the ethics of their reporting methods has come under intense scrutiny.
The Daily Beast reported that Winnett used undercover operatives and paid sources for information, the New York Times claimed that Lewis and Winnett based stories on stolen documents, and the Post itself published a report revealing Winnett's ties to a self-described "thief" who admitted to using deception and illegal means to obtain confidential information.
Lewis has also faced criticism for allegedly suppressing stories about his involvement in the infamous U.K. phone hacking scandal. He is accused of attempting to cover up the controversy by overseeing a plan to delete millions of emails during an investigation into the incident while he was an executive at Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation in 2005, although he has denied all wrongdoing.
Chaos due to the editorial shakeup and questions about Lewis' leadership have reportedly led morale at The Post to plummet.
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Former Wall Street Journal editor in chief Matt Murray, another former Lewis associate who was brought in to replace Buzbee until Winnett was supposed to arrive after 2024 election, at which point he was going to move to a new division of the newsroom, will now stay on as executive editor until after the November races.
Chaos due to the editorial shakeup and questions about Lewis' leadership have reportedly led morale at The Post to plummet. "He’s really losing the newsroom on a large scale," one staffer told CNN’s Oliver Darcy earlier this month. "People don’t trust him, don’t believe he has the same values and ethics as our journalists, and there are major concerns of how far he would go to censor or shut down coverage."
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