AP Managing Editor Defends Firing of Emily Wilder: ‘It’s Really Important That We Maintain Our Credibility’

CNN’s Brian Stelter spoke with Associated Press managing editor Brian Carovillano on Reliable Sources Sunday about the firing of Emily Wilder and the criticism the AP is facing as a result.

One College Republican group recently posted tweets highlighting Wilder’s past activism and involvement with Students for Justice in Palestine, and after her past comments circulated and got some attention online, she was fired.

More than 100 AP staffers signed an open letter criticizing her firing. A recent report said senior AP managers acknowledged “mistakes of process” to staffers, but ultimately stood by the decision to fire Wilder.

Carovillano said Wilder was let go because “she had a series of social media posts that showed a clear bias toward one side and against another in one of the most divisive and difficult stories that we cover anywhere in the world.”

“It was a difficult decision, it was not an easy decision, and it was not a personal decision, and we wish her all the best,” he said, telling Stelter it was a “unanimous decision.” “It’s really important that we maintain our credibility on these stories, and journalist safety is at stake and the AP’s credibility is at stake.”

Carovillano said during his career at the AP, he’s had experience “being called in front of angry foreign officials to answer to things that colleagues of mine had written in some other part of the world.”

Stelter asked about the criticism that Wilder was “caving” to a “conservative outrage campaign.”

Carovillano denied that was the case and said, “We take care of our people.”

You can watch above, via CNN.