Reuters editor in chief: We take all complaints seriously

TALKING BIZ NEWS EXCLUSIVE

Reuters editor in chief David Schlesinger told editorial staff members on a conference call Wednesday that he and other company executives often receive complaints about stories, and that he takes those seriously and investigates whether the complaints are valid.

Schlesinger was responding to a Talking Biz News story last month that reported that a story about hedge fund manager Steven Cohen was spiked after Cohen complained to a high-ranking Thomson Reuters executive.

That executive, Devin Wenig, told Schlesinger about the complaint. Schlesinger said he read the story and posed a question about it to global company news editor Jack Reerink and left it to Reerink to take the decision as to whether the story should run.

“It’s absolutely true that the fact that someone called Devin is why I got involved,” said Schlesinger on the call. “I read stories that I am interested in. It think it’s certainly within the purview of the editor.”

Schlesinger added on the call that such instances happen all the time.

“Editors make judgments. You might not always agree with those judgments, and that’s fine,” he said on the call. “If you disagree with those judgments, then come to me. Keep it within editorial, and don’t go running to a blog.”

Talking Biz News obtained access to a recording of the call on Thursday and listened to the hour-plus conversation, where Schlesinger also fielded questions about the current negotiations for a new contract with the editorial staff and the redesign of the Reuters.com site.

Talking Biz News reported Wednesday about the call based on interviews with those who listened, but listening to the call Thursday provided a broader understanding of the tone and scope of the conversation.

“When people complain, I take it seriously,” said Schlesinger. “I think it’s the least I can do to ensure our standards.” Schlesinger said he was unaware of whether Cohen was a client or an investor in the company.

At one point near the end of the call, however, Schlesinger interrupted one staff member who said that the editor in chief’s editorial judgment was on trial. “My judgment is not on trial here,” he said, apologizing for losing his temper. “It was a question of judgment, and that judgment is not up for a vote or trial.”

When another staff member noted that the Reuters attorney who advises editorial had approved the story, Schlesinger replied that not every story vetted by a lawyer runs. He also noted that the wire service sometimes runs stories that lawyers advise against publishing.

“The choice is to believe me or not,” said Schlesinger. “If you don’t believe me, fine. But I was hired as editor to make judgments…We as a company run an editorial department ethically. We do it because we want to and … because we believe it’s good business.

“I am not going to go into the details of it,” added Schlesinger. “But it was my editorial judgment to ask the questions, and Jack’s editorial judgment not to run the story.”

Although Schlesinger referred to a “false blog story” during the call, Talking Biz News stands by its original story, which ran Dec. 21, and has not been asked by Reuters to correct any aspect.