The new editor chosen for The Washington Post, Robert Winnett, decided not to take the job and will remain in England instead. This decision comes amid ongoing turmoil at the newspaper, which has faced challenges with its reorganization plans.
Winnett had faced criticism, including from within the newsroom he was supposed to lead, regarding concerns about his ethical standards, which differ from those typically upheld by American journalists.
Will Lewis, the CEO and publisher of The Post, informed the staff about Winnett’s choice and announced plans to hire a recruitment firm immediately to find a new editor.
The newspaper, which has been struggling financially, had originally planned for Winnett to take charge of the main newsroom functions following the presidential election in November.
Will Lewis (Via Hugo Simmons/Shutterstock)
At the same time, The Post was setting up a separate newsroom focused on developing new ways to generate revenue.
Earlier, Sally Buzbee, then-executive editor, had decided to resign rather than accept a demotion to lead this revenue-focused effort. Matt Murray, a former editor at The Wall Street Journal, was appointed as her interim replacement and future head of the new revenue-focused newsroom.
Questions about the journalistic practices of Lewis and Winnett had surfaced in various published reports, particularly related to their previous work in England. This included stories based on information obtained through payments to a data information company, a practice considered unethical by American journalistic standards.
The controversy prompted dissatisfaction within The Post’s newsroom, with veteran journalist David Maraniss expressing skepticism about the publisher and what he referred to as the “supposed new editor.”
