Bloomberg News disciplines staffers after breaking embargo on US-Russia prisoner swap

Bloomberg News has taken disciplinary action against a “number” of its staffers after the outlet broke an embargo last week on news of the release of several American prisoners held by Russia, including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.

Bloomberg News has taken disciplinary action against a “number” of its staffers after the outlet broke an embargo last week on news of the release of several American prisoners held by Russia, including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich. In a memo sent to staff on Monday obtained by CNN, Bloomberg editor-in-chief John Micklethwait wrote that a story reporting Gershkovich’s release, which was published at 7:41 a.m. ET Thursday, was posted “prematurely.” Bloomberg’s reporting “could have endangered the negotiated swap that set them fee,” Micklethwait wrote. “Even if our story mercifully ended up making no difference, it was a clear violation of the editorial standards which have made this newsroom so trusted around the world.” Bloomberg’s Standards editor conducted a “full investigation,” Micklethwait added, and as a result the outlet was taking “disciplinary action against a number of those involved” and will be reviewing their process to make sure such “failures like this don’t happen again.” The editor said he had personally written letters to apologize to each of the prisoners and that he “immediately” apologized on Thursday to Wall Street Journal editor-in-chief Emma Tucker. The initial report Thursday morning was touted by a Bloomberg reporter on X, who said it was one of the “greatest honors of my career” to help break the news of Gershkovich’s release. The reporter later deleted the post and the published story was later updated to note that the prisoners had not yet been released.