For the Record

Axios Allows Reporters to Protest:

In an internal email obtained by Edmund Lee and Ben Smith of The New York Times Monday, Axios co-founder and CEO Jim VandeHei announced that the news organization will support staff members who participate in protests. "First, let me say we proudly support and encourage you to exercise your rights to free speech, press and protest," the former Pulitzer Prize Board member said. "If you're arrested or meet harm while exercising these rights, Axios will stand behind you and use the Family Fund to cover your bail or assist with medical bills." However, "according to several people with knowledge of recent discussions at Axios," VandeHei "said he did not intend his note to actively encourage marching in protests" and also has "reminded the staff that the company’s reporters still need sources to open up to them."

Bon Appétit's Rapoport Resigns:

Bon Appétit Editor in Chief Adam Rapoport "stepped down on Monday over accusations of bias and a discriminatory culture at the Condé Nast-owned food magazine," according to Kerry Flynn of CNN. After Rapoport wrote a digital post about the George Floyd protests for the magazine last week, food writer Korsha Wilson alleged that she "personally know Black women & women of color who were gaslit, fired and their ideas used by y'all," leading to additional accusations about pay disparities and the magazine's internal culture. A photo allegedly showing Rapoport and his wife in brownface at a 2013 Halloween party also surfaced. In a statement, Condé Nast Chief Communications Officer Joe Libonati said that the firm "[goes] to great lengths to ensure that employees are paid fairly, in accordance with their roles and experience, across the entire company."

Johnson on #IStandWithAlexis:

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter Alexis Johnson spoke to Ryan Deto of the Pittsburgh City Paper about her colleagues' support (exemplified by Twitter posts tagged with the #IStandWithAlexis hashtag, which ultimately trended in Pennsylvania) after the newspaper reassigned her from coverage of the George Floyd protests when she compared the property damage at some protests to detritus at Kenny Chesney concerts. "Oftentimes, Black people don't feel seen or heard," she said. "But I feel the Post-Gazette news guild is the perfect example of what allies should look like."

Wischnowski Resigns as Top Inquirer Editor:

Stan Wischnowski announced his resignation as executive editor of The Philadelphia Inquirer this weekend, several days after "discontent among the newspaper's staff erupted over a headline ('Buildings Matter, Too') on a column" by architecture critic and 2014 Criticism winner Inga Saffron "about the impact of the civil unrest following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis," according to Craig R. McCoy of the publication. In a statement, Publisher Lisa Hughes said that the newspaper "will use this moment to evaluate the organizational structure and processes of the newsroom, assess what we need, and look both internally and externally for a seasoned leader who embodies our values, embraces our shared strategy, and understands the diversity of the communities we serve."

Bennet Resigns as Times Editorial Page Editor:

New York Times Editorial Page Editor James Bennet resigned Sunday in response to the publication of a "much-criticized op-ed" by Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton "calling for a military response to civic unrest in American cities," according to Marc Tracy of the publication. In an interview with Tracy, Publisher A.G. Sulzberger said: "Both of us concluded that James would not be able to lead the team through the next leg of change that is required." Jim Dao, the deputy editorial page editor who oversaw op-eds under Bennet, has been reassigned to a newsroom position, while another deputy editorial page editor, 2015 Editorial Writing winner Kathleen Kingsbury, will serve as acting editorial page editor until the presidential election.

Facebook to Label State-Controlled Media Posts:

Facebook announced Thursday that it will add labels to the "pages of Russia Today, Sputnik, Xinhua News and the People’s Daily, among others, warning people that these were state-controlled outlets," according to Mark Scott of Politico. Independent government-funded news organizations will be exempt from the requirement. The platform "has faced a backlash from its employees for not adding warning labels to comments" from President Trump on the George Floyd protests after Twitter and Snapchat moderated his posts. Facebook Head of Cybersecurity Policy Nathaniel Gleicher also reaffirmed that the platform will stop "state-controlled media organizations from Russia, China and elsewhere from buying ads [...] ahead of November’s presidential election," although no suspicious activity has been detected at this juncture.

Senate Confirms Global Media CEO:

Documentary filmmaker Michael Pack was confirmed as the incoming chief executive of the U.S. Agency for Global Media by the U.S. Senate in a 53-38 vote Thursday. The confirmation of Pack, who has collaborated on projects with former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon and previously served as chief executive of the Claremont Institute, was criticized by New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez amid reports that he is the subject of a pending financial investigation by the District of Columbia's Attorney General. President Trump congratulated Pack on Twitter: "Nobody has any idea what a big victory this is for America. Why? Because he is going to be running the VOICE OF AMERICA, and everything associated with it..."

Times Disavows Cotton Op-Ed:

Following an internal review, The New York Times determined Thursday that an op-ed by Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton calling for the invocation of the Insurrection Act in the George Floyd protests was affected by a "rushed editorial process" and "did not meet our standards." According to a Times report by Marc Tracy, Rachel Abrams and Edmund Lee, Editorial Page Editor James Bennet said "that he had not read the essay before it was published." CNN's Oliver Darcy added that "dozens of journalists at The Times tweeted a screen shot showing the headline of Cotton's piece [and] 'Running this puts Black @NYTimes staff in danger'" after Publisher A. G. Sulzberger initially defended the decision to publish the essay. The Times' leadership will hold a town hall meeting Friday for employee concerns, while Cotton said that his piece "far exceeds their standards, which are normally full of left-wing, sophomoric drivel" in an interview with Martha MacCallum of Fox News.

Park Police Investigating Officers Who Allegedly Attacked Australian Journalists:

United States Park Police Acting Chief Gregory T. Monahan announced Wednesday that the law enforcement agency is "investigating two officers who allegedly attacked Australian reporters during Monday night’s protest near the White House," according to Rebecca Klar of The Hill. "As is consistent with our established practices and procedures, two U.S. Park Police officers have been assigned to administrative duties, while an investigation takes place regarding the incident with the Australian press," the agency tweeted Wednesday. According to footage reported by Washington, D.C. ABC affiliate WJLA, the video allegedly shows that "Network Seven cameraman Tim Myers was hit with a riot shield and punched in the face by a police officer during the protest," while "another officer was also seen swinging a truncheon at [...] reporter Amelia Brace."

Inquirer Apologizes for Headline on Saffron Column:

The Philadelphia Inquirer apologized Wednesday for publishing a column by 2014 Criticism winner Inga Saffron under the headline of "Buildings matter, too." In an article attributed to the newspaper's editors, the publication said: "Stories typically go through two assignment editors before reaching the print desk, where copy editors weigh the merits of the story, and check for grammar, style and factual errors. It’s at that stage, when the print page is being created, that print headlines are written by copy editors. Typically, two print editors review headlines and pages before they are sent to the presses. Our review of this incident found that the process was followed, and the headline was created by one editor and read by another. This incident makes clear that changes are needed, and we are committing to start immediately." Fellow architecture critic and 1984 Criticism winner Paul Goldberger defended Saffron's column on Twitter: "The piece itself [...] was nuanced and thoughtful, while the headline suggested the opposite."