Fortune’s Hong Kong-based chairman joined an editorial interview with President Donald Trump this week, an unusual move that has fueled concerns on the publication’s staff, reports Maxwell Tani of Semafor.
Tani reports, “The chairman, Victor Pang, ‘was there as a mere observer to the hour-long interview conducted solely and entirely by’ Alyson Shontell, Fortune’s editor-in-chief, said company spokesman Patrick Reilly.
“The interview, which is yet to be published, was a major booking for the publication, which has attempted to refocus its editorial energies around a combination of high-profile interviews, original business reporting, and turn-and-burn, AI-powered aggregation.
“Staff were excited for the interview, which signaled the company’s continued journalistic relevance. But Pang’s presence at the editorial conversation came as a surprise to the staff.”
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