The reporter who prematurely reported on the prisoner swap with Russia and that Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich had been released by Russia has been fired.
Bloomberg News “parts ways with lead author of story that falsely claimed” Gershkovich was released by Russia, quotes The Wall Street Journal. The firing was one of several disciplinary measures.
The Bloomberg article came out at 7:41 a.m. ET Thursday, when Gershkovich and the other prisoners were still in Russian custody en route to Ankara, the Turkish capital. It was later corrected to reflect that the prisoners had not yet been released at the time of publication.
Bloomberg News Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait wrote in a memo to staff on Monday, August 5, that publication of the story “could have jeopardized” the swap that freed Gershkovich and the other prisoners:
“Even if our story thankfully did not change anything, this was a clear breach of the editorial standards that have made this newsroom so trusted around the world. Bloomberg has taken disciplinary action against a number of those involved, and we will review our processes to ensure that similar mistakes do not happen again.”
Senior White House reporter Jennifer Jacobs was fired, the source said, noting:
“While covering the story of Evan's firing, I worked closely with my editors to adhere to editorial standards and principles. Reporters do not have the right to decide when a story will run or with what headline. That is why there are checks and balances in the editorial process.”
Gershkovich spent 491 days in Russian custody. Negotiations between the West and Russia that led to the major exchange lasted more than two years.
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