A star reporter who lined Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presidential marketing campaign has been positioned on go away after admitting a relationship with a former reporting topic.
New York Journal mentioned in an announcement Thursday, first reported by Standing, that its Washington correspondent, Olivia Nuzzi, had didn’t disclose a “private relationship” with an unnamed marketing campaign topic whereas she was reporting on the 2024 election.
This was a violation of the outlet’s requirements on journalists declaring private pursuits that could possibly be seen to affect their protection, it mentioned.
“Had the journal been conscious of this relationship, she wouldn’t have continued to cowl the presidential marketing campaign,” the assertion mentioned. The journal mentioned that it reviewed her work, nevertheless, and located “no inaccuracies nor proof of bias.”
“She is at the moment on go away from the journal, and the journal is conducting a extra thorough third-party assessment. We remorse this violation of our readers’ belief,” it added.
Whereas neither Nuzzi or New York Journal named the reporting topic, Standing in addition to CNN and the New York Instances have reported that it was Kennedy.
Nuzzi mentioned in an announcement to The New York Instances on Thursday, with out elaborating on the precise nature of their relationship, that “some communication between myself and a former reporting topic turned private” earlier this 12 months.
She mentioned that regardless of having lined the topic beforehand she didn’t report on him straight throughout this time.
“The connection was by no means bodily however ought to have been disclosed to stop the looks of a battle. I deeply remorse not doing so instantly and apologize to these I’ve disenchanted, particularly my colleagues at New York,” she mentioned.
NBC Information reached out to Nuzzi in a single day for remark.
Stefanie Spear, spokesperson for Kennedy, mentioned in a brief assertion to NBC Information that “Mr. Kennedy solely met Olivia Nuzzi as soon as in his life for an interview she requested, which yielded a success piece.”
Nuzzi wrote a prolonged article about Kennedy in Nov. 2023, headlined: “The Thoughts-Bending Politics of RFK Jr.’s Spoiler Marketing campaign.” Its subheading learn: “He’s a conservative. He’s a liberal. And he may flip the presidential race the other way up.”
A current article by Nuzzi, an interview with Trump, was revealed on Sept. 9. The web model has been up to date with a “word to readers” which hyperlinks to New York Journal’s assertion.
Kennedy, who gained prominence as an environmental lawyer after which as a number one anti-vaccine advocate, dropped out of the race final month and introduced he would help Trump.
Katherine Koretski contributed.