Amid mounting criticism over his suspected links to unethical journalism practices, Robert Winnett will no longer assume the role of senior editor at The Washington Post.
Publisher Will Lewis of the Post expressed “with regret” in a message to employees on Friday morning the news that Winnett had “withdrawn” from his role as editor but would continue to work at The Telegraph, a newspaper in the United Kingdom, where he is now the deputy editor.
The editor and journalist Rob is is highly regarded by Lewis, who expressed his deepest admiration in his letter. “His position as deputy editor will be continued,” stated the leadership of The Telegraph Media Group.
Lewis went on to say that the Post will “immediately” start looking for a “timely and thorough” candidate to fill the open post. An sudden leadership shakeup earlier this month featured the departure of Sally Buzbee as executive editor and Winnett’s planned arrival at the Post after the November election to supervise the newsroom’s main reporting arm.
The Post’s executive editor, Matt Murray, who was once the chief editor of The Wall Street Journal, would remain in his role until the November presidential election, according to Lewis. According to him, the Post is also working on a plan to alleviate the newsroom’s financial situation by launching a “third newsroom” that will focus on service and social media journalism.
Allegations of Winnett’s and Lewis’s questionable ethical behavior surfaced in weekend news headlines. According to the Post, Winnett was involved with a man at the Sunday Times who lied to get sensitive information. Lewis and Winnett were both employed by the same British publication; but, according to the New York Times, Lewis utilized a stolen phone and corporate records to write two pieces.
Lewis and Winnett did not respond to either report, and a Washington Post representative said that Lewis would not comment.
Many people, including former president Trump and Pulitzer Prize–winning Post writers, have taken issue with the reporting and are closely watching the publisher and new editor.
Post owner Jeff Bezos reaffirmed his dedication to preserving the Post’s journalistic quality and standards in a Tuesday statement to newsroom leadership, but he did not explicitly address the ethics concerns.