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Company representatives showed sections of the story to its subjects, and asked editors to unveil confidential sources.
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The team reporting on the story was forced to undergo a review process which "involved egregious breaches of confidentiality and journalism ethics," according to the editor's note. It previously declined to discuss personnel matters with The Washington Post. Newsweek Media Group could not be immediately reached for comment. "Reporters Josh Keefe and Josh Saul were targeted for firing before an editor persuaded the company to reverse its decision."
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"As we were reporting this story, Newsweek Media Group fired Newsweek Editor Bob Roe, Executive Editor Ken Li and Senior Politics Reporter Celeste Katz for doing their jobs," the note read. The investigation's findings were damning, but it was the colossal editor's note at the top of the story that was the most stunning. And late Tuesday night, their exposé was published, revealing a deep financial relationship between the parent company and a small Christian school, Olivet University. The trio was fired as they were in the midst of pursuing an investigative story into the financial ties of Newsweek's parent company, the Newsweek Media Group.ĭespite the firings, a group of staff journalists continued reporting on the company's finances. Two of the magazine's top editors - editor in chief Bob Roe and executive editor Kenneth Li - were abruptly dismissed, along with reporter Celeste Katz.
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