Washington Post Editor Gets Tough in New Memo to Staff Over Online Behavior: ‘We Will Enforce Our Policies And Standards’

Jackson RichmanJun 7th, 2022, 5:41 pm
 
Washington Post

Eric Baradat/Getty Images

Washington Post executive editor Sally Buzbee sent a stern memo to the paper’s employees on Tuesday amid responses to national political reporter Dave Weigel’s one-month suspension for retweeting a sexist tweet.

“In this newsroom, we share many important common values. A belief in the power of journalism. Hatred of racist or sexist behavior, language or systems,” said Buzbee in the memo, obtained by CNN senior media reporter Oliver Darcy. “A conviction when people come together in good faith, with respect and trust, it creates an environment that enables each person to do powerful and important work. We also occasionally disagree: We come from different backgrounds and experiences, and we each see the world differently.”

Buzbee went on “in the strongest of terms … to reiterate the importance” of certain policies. These include not tolerating “colleagues attacking colleagues either face to face or online.” Since Weigel retweeted that sexist tweet, national political reporter Felicia Sonmez blasted Weigel by posting a screenshot that showed that he retweeted that tweet, which read “Every girl is bi. You just have to figure out if it’s polar or sexual.”

“Fantastic to work at a news outlet where retweets like this are allowed!” tweeted Sonmez.

In a separate post, Weigel apologized.

“I just removed a retweet of an offensive joke. I apologize and did not mean to cause any harm,” he tweeted.

Sonmez has been on a Twitterstorm since the incident, blasting colleagues and the publication itself.

In her memo, Buzbee wrote, “We also do not tolerate violations of our Policy Prohibiting Workplace Harassment and our Policy on Prohibition of Discrimination, which further set forth our expectations for employees and are designed to create an inclusive environment where all Post employees can perform their best work.”

Buzbee reiterated that the Post plans to update its social media policy and said that the outlet respects its employees’ “right to raise legitimate work issues.”

“We respect and do not wish to inhibit any employee’s right to raise legitimate workplace issues. We know it takes bravery to call out problems,” she said. “And we pledge to openly and honestly address problems brought to us. We moved quickly to show our intolerance for a sexist retweet sent by an employee last Friday.

“To be clear: We will enforce our policies and standards.”

Post employees defended their employer.

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