Bloomberg News has taken disciplinary action against journalists involved in prematurely publishing a story on the recent prisoner swap that brought Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and other Americans home from Russia. The action was taken after the news organization broke an embargo and reported on the release before it was officially confirmed, putting the hostages' safety at risk.
Bloomberg News has taken disciplinary action against journalists involved in prematurely publishing a story on the historic prisoner swap that brought Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and other Americans home after being wrongfully detained in Russia. The action was taken after the news organization broke an embargo and reported on the release before it was officially confirmed, putting the hostages' safety at risk.
According to a memo obtained by Fox News Digital, Bloomberg editor-in-chief John Micklethwait wrote to staffers on Monday that "a number of those involved" had been disciplined and that the organization would be reviewing its editorial process to ensure that failures like this don't happen again." He also apologized to Wall Street Journal editor-in-chief Emma Tucker for the breach.
Bloomberg Disciplines Journalists for Breaching News Embargo on Prisoner Swap
"Last Thursday, we prematurely published a story on the release of Evan Gershkovich and the other prisoners, which could have endangered the negotiated swap that set them free. Even if our story mercifully ended up making no difference, it was a clear violation of the editorial standards which have made this newsroom trusted around the world," Micklethwait wrote.
The incident has sparked outrage among journalists and government officials, who say it was a serious breach of media norms. News organizations were reportedly asked by the White House to hold their stories until Gershkovich and the other prisoners were in U.S. custody, but Bloomberg ran its story before that was confirmed.
Bloomberg Disciplines Journalists for Breaching News Embargo on Prisoner Swap
"According to multiple sources at the Journal and other major outlets, the Bloomberg scoop left journalists and government officials fuming. With a prisoner swap, you don't know if it's going to happen until it happens," New York magazine reporter Charlotte Klein wrote.
Bloomberg declined to comment on the disciplinary action taken against the journalists involved. Jacobs did not respond to a request for comment.
Bloomberg Disciplines Journalists for Breaching News Embargo on Prisoner Swap
The incident highlights the importance of embargoes and agreements on news stories, which allow news organizations to better prepare their coverage and ensure the safety of those involved. Breaking such agreements is considered a severe breach of media norms and can have serious consequences.
