Robert Winnett Won't Take Over Washington Post Editor Job After Internal Dissent
Summary from the AllSides News Team
British journalist Robert Winnett will no longer take over as top editor of the Washington Post (Lean Left bias) following staff outcry regarding concerns over his journalistic ethics.
For Context: Earlier this month, the Post’s former editor, Sally Buzbee, announced her departure. The sudden nature of her announcement led some to speculate that Buzbee was forced out by the Post’s publisher and CEO, Will Lewis, following weeks of tension. This claim was strengthened soon after by a New York Times (Lean Left bias) report that Lewis had advised Buzbee to not cover a story about a United Kingdom phone hacking scandal that involved Lewis. Lewis denied pressuring Buzbee “in any way.”
Details: Lewis selected Winnett as a replacement. The two previously worked together at U.K. outlets. Soon after this announcement, multiple outlets, including the Post itself, published articles calling into question the journalistic ethics of Winnett. These stories involved phone hacking, fraudulently obtaining records, and paying sources.
Key Quotes: In a memo sent to Post staffers on Friday, Lewis stated, “It is with regret that I share with you that Robert Winnett has withdrawn from the position of Editor at The Washington Post.”
How the Media Covered It: While HuffPost (Left bias) characterized the issues at the outlet in terms of the wider economic instability faced by media outlets in the digital age, the New York Post (Lean Right bias) framed the drama as more specifically as the “latest fiasco that has embroiled” the award-winning outlet.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Left
Robert Winnett Will No Longer Lead Washington Post As Top Editor
British journalist Robert Winnett will no longer be the editor of The Washington Post following ethical questions about his past work, it was reported Friday.
The decision was announced by Washington Post publisher Will Lewis to staff in a memo Friday morning, according to CNN and The New York Times.
“It is with regret that I share with you that Robert Winnett has withdrawn from the position of Editor at The Washington Post. Rob has my greatest respect and is an incredibly talented editor and journalist,” the memo read.
Lewis,...
From the Center
UK journalist Winnett will not join Washington Post as editor, staff memo says
British journalist Robert Winnett will not be joining the Washington Post as its editor, an internal memo seen by Reuters showed, following media reports that he used unethical methods to obtain information while working with the Sunday Times.
Post publisher Will Lewis had named Winnett, a former colleague who serves as deputy editor of the Daily Telegraph, to the role earlier this month after the exit of Sally Buzbee, the first woman to lead the storied newsroom. The reversal means Winnett will remain at the Daily Telegraph, which he joined...
From the Right
Washington Post staffers fume at owner Jeff Bezos as UK Telegraph’s Robert Winnett declines top editor role
Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos faces growing unrest from the newspaper’s staffers — and the latest casualty is the journalist who had been in line to become its next editor.
Robert Winnett, the deputy editor of the British broadsheet Telegraph, will not be taking the helm of the venerable newspaper, the paper said on Friday. That’s after the surprise exit of former Washington Post Sally Buzbee, who stepped down abruptly earlier this month after just three years at the helm.
“I’m pleased to report that Rob Winnett has decided to...
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