Disciplinary Measure at Bloomberg: Violation of Embargo Leads to Consequences

Bloomberg News has disciplined several journalists after they violated an embargo concerning a significant prisoner exchange. This constituted a clear breach of editorial standards, Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait stated in an email to the staff on Monday. An investigation by the organization's standards editor led to these measures, though their specifics were not disclosed. The article in question was published at 7:41 a.m. last Thursday and reported on the complex prisoner exchange that led to the release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and others. Two informed individuals confirmed that Jennifer Jacobs, a senior White House correspondent and primary author of the article, has left the company, while another involved editor was demoted. In a statement posted on social media, Jacobs expressed her deep distress that her reporting may have jeopardized a colleague's safety. She emphasized that she adhered to editorial guidelines and never knowingly violated the government-imposed embargo during her reporting. Many U.S. media outlets, including the New York Times, had received information about the exchange in advance from government officials but were instructed to publish the news only once the prisoners were safely in U.S. custody. The original Bloomberg article incorrectly claimed that the Americans had already been released. About an hour later, the article was updated with a correction notice. Micklethwait stressed in his email that the article was "prematurely published" and could have jeopardized the exchange. Although the article ultimately had no adverse impact, it was a clear breach of standards and risked the trust that the news organization enjoys globally. He apologized to Emma Tucker, the Editor-in-Chief of the Wall Street Journal, as well as personally to each of the prisoners. "We publish thousands of stories daily and take accuracy very seriously," Micklethwait wrote. "But we also have the responsibility to do what is right. In this case, we did not achieve that.