Washington Post publisher retains ties to past business ventures

[mahatmakanejeeves]

MEDIA
Washington Post publisher retains ties to past business ventures
William Lewis holds a stake in a start-up that has reached a deal with The Post to collaborate. The Post said the arrangement conforms with its conflict-of-interest policy.

By Craig Whitlock, Jonathan O'Connell and Jon Swaine
June 22, 2024 at 5:46 p.m. EDT



William Lewis, CEO and publisher of The Washington Post, in November. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post)

A small digital start-up launched by Washington Post publisher William Lewis has entered into an agreement with The Post that allows the two companies to pursue deals together, even as Lewis still holds a financial stake in the firm.

The News Movement, which Lewis co-founded in 2020, recently developed pitches for two major advertisers, Rolex and Starbucks, to engage in commercial partnerships that would involve The Post, according to documents and interviews.

The Post’s relationship with the News Movement represents one of several ways in which Lewis remains connected to his previous business endeavors and associates. The Post said the arrangements conform with its conflict-of-interest policy.

The privately owned News Movement specializes in what it describes as “creative storytelling” for youthful consumers on social media. Ramin Beheshti, who succeeded Lewis as its chief executive, said in text messages on Thursday that the firm reached a “light framework agreement” with The Post in the past few months.

{snip}

One of the article’s authors, Jon Swaine, worked as a Daily Telegraph reporter for nearly three years under William Lewis when Lewis was editor in chief. Lewis left the Telegraph in 2010. Swaine left in 2014 and has been a Post reporter since 2019.

By Craig Whitlock
Craig Whitlock is an investigative reporter who covers national security. He is the author of "Fat Leonard: How One Man Bribed, Bilked, and Seduced the U.S. Navy," (Simon & Schuster, May 2024), and the #1 NYT bestselling book, "The Afghanistan Papers: A Secret History of the War" (Simon & Schuster, 2021). He joined The Post in 1998. Twitter

By Jonathan O'Connell
Jonathan O'Connell is a reporter focused on investigations. He has covered economic development, commercial real estate and President Donald Trump's business. He joined The Post in 2010. Twitter

By Jon Swaine
Jon Swaine joined The Washington Post's investigative team in 2019. He previously worked as a senior reporter for The Guardian, and as a reporter and foreign correspondent for The Daily Telegraph. Twitter

[bucolic_frolic]

1. None dare call it Private Equity

but it's taking over everything. Is this influence peddling? Or for-profit parallel ventures? Something not very "common good, Fourth estate" about deals that seem kind of conflicted.

[hedda_foil]

2. The WaPo reporters are doing a hulluva job reporting on their corrupt new bosses.