Bloomberg News has taken disciplinary action against several editorial staff members for prematurely publishing a story about a historic prisoner swap between Russia and the United States. The story, which was published before the exchange was completed, potentially endangered the safety of the Americans being released.
Editor-in-chief John Micklethwait stated that the publication of the story was a “clear violation of the editorial standards” that have made Bloomberg News a trusted source of information. He added that disciplinary actions have been taken against those involved, but did not disclose details on who was affected or what the punishments entailed.
White House reporter Jennifer Jacobs was reportedly fired as a result of the incident. Jacobs expressed her distress on social media, stating that the idea of jeopardizing the safety of a fellow reporter is “deeply upsetting.”
The prisoner swap, which was the largest since the Cold War, involved the exchange of 16 American, German, and Russian citizens for eight Russians, including spies and a convicted assassin.
Bloomberg News has apologized to the American hostages involved in the swap, including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, ex-marine Paul Whelan, and journalist Alsu Kurmasheva. The news outlet will review its processes to ensure that similar failures do not happen again.