Washington Post CEO's position becomes increasingly questionable amid escalating scandals in news acquisition.
Using info from an ex-colleague of Lewis, a private investigator and digging through old newspaper records, The New York Times suggests that Lewis acquired phone and company records through illegal means like hacking and bribing sources. It's unclear if these allegations will lead to Lewis stepping down from his position at one of the country's top news outlets. Some experts believe his grip on the newsroom is weakening. Margaret Sullivan, a journalism ethics expert, stated that Lewis' position is becoming increasingly untenable.
These more recent claims question Lewis' journalistic integrity, coming at a time when the paper is grappling with the shocking ousting of its executive editor, Sally Buzbee. These allegations could potentially harm the paper's reputation as a leader in American journalism.
The Society of Professional Journalists, which has over 7,000 members across the country and whose ethics are widely followed in newsrooms, advises journalists against paying for access to news in their Code of Ethics. While SPJ doesn't explicitly speak about hacking, they do warn against covert methods of gathering information unless open ones won't work. They also advise against showboating or unnecessary intrusion in the pursuit of news.
Lewis has earlier denied being involved in a UK phone hacking scandal coverup. When asked for comment by CNN, a representative for The Washington Post stated that Lewis declined to respond.
During meetings at the paper last week, Lewis informed employees that his role as publisher is to foster an environment for quality journalism and support it, emphasizing that he would never interfere with the journalism and would respect the boundaries that should not be crossed.
The phone hacking scandal involving media mogul Rupert Murdoch's News of the World tabloid resurfaced in a recent lawsuit filed by Prince Harry and other celebrities like Guy Ritchie and Hugh Grant. At the time of the scandal, Lewis was a senior executive at Murdoch's News Corporation.
A series of allegations have been swirling around Lewis lately, primarily concerning his attempts to suppress stories about his connection with the coverup. Earlier this month, The New York Times reported that Lewis and Buzbee clashed over publishing an article mentioning Lewis in connection to the scandal. However, a spokesperson for Lewis denied that he pressured Buzbee to quash the article, as reported by NPR.
Buzbee left the company earlier this month. A few days later, an NPR reporter claimed that Lewis offered an interview in exchange for preventing the publication of an article about the scandal. The Washington Post did not respond to CNN regarding these allegations.
A spokesperson for Lewis told The New York Times earlier this month that during his time as a private citizen before joining The Washington Post, he had off-the-record conversations with an NPR employee about a story the employee later published. They added that any requests for interviews after he joined the Washington Post were processed through standard corporate communication channels.
Buzbee's departure seems to have further eroded Lewis' control over his newsroom. Several Post staffers who spoke to CNN described plummeting morale. One staffer noted that the morale is at its lowest point, even in comparison to the Washington Post's past rough patches.
In an opinion piece for The Guardian, Sullivan suggested that firing Lewis and finding a new CEO is the best move for Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos. She argued that Lewis' efforts to downplay reporting about him have motivated other media outlets to investigate his past, and a new revelation could make his leadership position even more untenable, forcing Bezos to take action.
Sullivan also questioned whether Lewis could rebuild trust within and outside the newsroom by publicly committing to ethical boundaries, though she added that restoration of an independent public editor or ombudsman might be necessary for the Washington Post to fully regain its ethical standing.
Read also:
The business repercussions of these allegations against Lewis could potentially tarnish The Washington Post's media reputation. Amidst the controversy, some experts are suggesting that Lewis should consider stepping down as CEO from the media giant.
