London, England – The Washington Post’s new publisher and CEO, Will Lewis, has recently faced allegations that have caused a stir within the British court system. Lewis allegedly pressured his newsroom chief not to run stories on the allegations, according to sources within the newspaper. The newsroom leadership shakeup was announced during a staff meeting earlier this week by Lewis.
Former Executive Editor Sally Buzbee reportedly felt rattled after discussions with Lewis in March and May, as he urged her not to publish the stories. Despite Lewis’ efforts to dissuade Buzbee, the news eventually went public in a detailed article in May. Lewis, who is facing financial challenges within the newspaper, denied allegations of pressuring his editor.
Managing Editor Matea Gold oversaw the stories, drawing on reporters from various departments within the newsroom. Lewis did not intervene to stop the story from running, but he surprised many by announcing Buzbee’s departure and a restructuring of the newsroom’s leadership shortly thereafter.
This is not the first time Lewis has actively tried to prevent negative coverage about himself. In the past, he engaged in tactics that are considered inappropriate by many in the U.S. journalism industry. Lewis, with a background in British journalism, has worked for publications like the Financial Times and the Daily Telegraph in the past.
Lewis has named a former colleague, Rob Winnett from the Telegraph, to lead the Washington Post’s primary news reporting team. The two journalists were involved in a controversial payment to a source for sensitive information detailing inappropriate expenses of British lawmakers, a practice that goes against ethics codes established by U.S. news outlets.
Allegations have also surfaced regarding Lewis’ involvement in covering up a hacking scandal at Murdoch’s British tabloids, now referred to as News UK. Lewis is accused of approving the deletion of millions of emails related to the scandal, despite requests to preserve evidence for investigations. While Lewis denies any wrongdoing, the allegations remain a point of contention in ongoing legal battles. The Murdoch media empire has faced significant financial repercussions due to the hacking scandal, paying out substantial settlements to affected parties.