Bloomberg News has reportedly fired one of its journalists and taken disciplinary action against other staff members, after the outlet reported on a historic US-Russia prisoner swap before it was completed. The news agency sparked outrage in the journalistic community by releasing its report while a plane carrying freed detainees was en route from Russia to Turkey. According to reports, the media had been asked by the US government to delay publishing their story until after the prisoners had been handed over.
In an email to the Bloomberg newsroom, Editor-in-chief John Micklethwait addressed the incident, stating that the premature release of the report “could have endangered the negotiated swap.” He went on to say that even if their story ended up having no impact on the situation, it still violated the editorial standards which have made Bloomberg News a trusted source around the world.
Following an investigation into the incident, Micklethwait revealed in his email that disciplinary action had been taken against a number of individuals involved. He also stated that he has written apology letters to each of the prisoners returned from Russia and has personally contacted Emma Tucker, his counterpart from The Wall Street Journal, to apologize for any offense caused.
One of Bloomberg’s senior White House reporters, Jennifer Jacobs, who co-bylined the story about the exchange, was reportedly fired by the news agency this week. In a statement on social media, Jacobs distanced herself from the incident, insisting that she had worked closely with her editors to adhere to editorial standards and guidelines while reporting the story. She added that at no time did she act in a manner inconsistent with Washington’s request for an embargo on the news report.
Jacobs emphasized that “the chain of events here could happen to any reporter tasked with reporting the news,” and expressed her deep concern about the possibility that her actions may have jeopardized the safety of a fellow journalist, Evan Gershkovich, who was one of the American citizens released under the deal.
Gershkovich was arrested in March last year while allegedly receiving classified information about the Russian Defense Ministry. The US government claimed that he was unlawfully detained for journalistic work. During his trial, Gershkovich denied acting on behalf of US intelligence.