(CNN) The Washington Post announced Friday that Robert Winnett, the British journalist who was to take over as editor of the newspaper, would no longer join the publication which was trapped in a crisis that lasts for weeks on ethical issues.
It is with regret that I announce that Robert Winnett has stepped down as editor-in-chief of The Washington Post, Will Lewis, publisher and CEO of the Post, said in a memo Friday morning.
Winnett, who was hired this month by Lewis to join the Post after the November election, will now remain deputy editor of the London Telegraph newspaper. The decision comes after Winnett's journalistic integrity was called into question in a A 3,000 word presentation on the first page published by The Post, which reported that Winnett had previously used documents from a self-proclaimed thief for his reporting.
The news that Winnett will no longer join The Post comes as Publication owned by Jeff Bezos remains mired in turmoil over serious journalistic ethics questions facing Lewis, Rupert Murdoch's former lieutenant who was accused of helping the right-wing media mogul cover up top executives in a corruption scandal. Decade-old British phone hacking.
Lewis has denied any wrongdoing but recently attempted to delete posts about it, according to private accounts of Sally Buzbee, the former editor-in-chief of the Post and NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik. The allegations have been reignited by a lawsuit filed by Prince Harry and other high-profile figures, in a case expected to go to court early next year.
Amid questions about Lewis' role in the phone hacking scandal, additional reporting has raised concerns about his journalistic integrity in general. The Guardian published an article this week accusing Lewis of once advising then-British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to clean out his phone during the so-called Partygate scandal. Lewis and Johnson denied this information.
In the Post newsroom, morale plunged as staff expressed concern over Lewis' conduct and concerns about the future direction of the paper under his leadership. Interviews this week with nearly a dozen Post employees and others familiar with the paper's internal dynamics revealed that the workforce is increasingly dismayed by the situation, with some looking for work elsewhere.
Patience is also running out for owner Bezos, who has yet to meaningfully address the crisis. In a short note sent Tuesday to the main editorial leaders, Bezos reiterated his commitment to very high standardsbut has not yet taken significant steps to appease the anger of its editorial staff.
A spokesperson for Bezos did not respond to requests for comment Thursday when asked whether the Amazon billionaire plans to take additional steps to right the ship. So far, Bezos has coyly signaled support for his controversy-plagued editor, whom he named to the Post's top job in January.
A new search begins
Lewis told staff members in his Friday memo that he would immediately launch a new search for a new editor. Lewis said Matt Murray, the former Wall Street Journal editor who was named to take over on an interim basis after Lewis ousted Buzbee, will continue in his role.
Lewis' memo, outlining the Post's future plans, suggested he would stay at the paper, despite staff concerns. This week, two Pulitzer Prize-winning Post journalists publicly called for changes at the paper's leadership.
I don't know a single person at the Post who thinks the current situation of the publisher and the supposed new editor-in-chief can hold, wrote David Maraniss, an assistant editor who worked at the Post for nearly five decades and won two Pulitzer Prize for the newspaper. in a candid post on Facebook. There may be a few, but very, very few.
Maraniss also teased Bezos, writing that he is not from and for the Post, otherwise he would understand.
Scott Higham, another Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter at the Post, echoed Maranis' call for Lewis to leave the paper.
Will Lewis needs to resign for the good of the Post and the public, Higham responded in a comment on Maranis' post. He lost the editorial board and will never get it back.
Independent corporate governance experts have also said Lewis should be shown the door.
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, professor and senior associate dean for leadership studies at the Yale School of Management, told CNN on Monday that Bezos should fire Lewis.
Sonnenfeld, who has advised U.S. presidents and numerous business leaders, said that if he were advising Bezos, he would tell him that Lewis has lost his legitimacy to lead and it is time to clean house.
This is a tragic collapse of the consciousness of American journalism that shames the legacy of collaboration, courage and integrity of Katharine Graham, Ben Bradlee and Marty Baron, Sonnenfeld said. Bezos needs to hire an accomplished, experienced editor who journalists admire and trust.
This story has been updated with additional developments and context.
The-CNN-Wire
& 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Company. Discovery. All rights reserved.
