Robert Winnett, who was set to become the executive editor of the Washington Post following the US presidential election, has withdrawn his acceptance and decided to remain as the deputy editor of the Telegraph. The British journalist’s appointment seemed on the rocks after recent issues involving the Washington Post CEO, Will Lewis, came to light.
The drama unfolded in the media, with the story playing out in the Post. Six months ago, when Lewis took the helm as CEO, he said Winnett would add a superior level of investigative scrutiny to the newspaper. However, he likely didn’t anticipate the existing investigation intensity to create obstacles for Winnett to join the Post.
One of the significant headlines in the saga was, “Incoming Post editor tied to self-described ‘thief’ who participated in his reporting”, associating Winnett with questionable story-making strategies during his time at the Sunday Times. Both National Public Radio (NPR) and the New York Times have published several stories on what the NYT identified as Winnett’s “unethical news gathering methods in Britain” and the Post’s internal management of the matter.
The drama was initiated by Lewis, also from Britain, who offered Sally Buzbee, the executive editor, a position leading the “third newsroom”, a proposed “social media and service journalism” division. Buzbee perceived it as a form of demotion and resigned. Ex-Wall Street Journal editor, Matt Murray was appointed as the interim executive editor by Lewis. Cameron Barr, the former senior managing editor, is now overseeing the newspaper’s self-coverage.
With Lewis facing criticism due to his role in doing damage control for his former employer News International – a part of Rupert Murdoch’s empire, during the phone hacking scandal, it’s unclear if he’ll stay in his role to find a new executive editor for “core” coverage.
The disputes revealed fascinating insights into the contrast between American and British cultural norms vis-a-vis what is considered agreeable in the editorial hierarchy. In the context of the UK, editor of the Telegraph, Chris Evans, was pleased to announce to the team about Winnett yesterday: “As all are aware, he is a skilled individual and his departure is indeed our advantage.”