Jake Tapper Confronts Ex-WaPo Editor for Suspending Reporter over Kobe Bryant Tweet: It ‘Was Journalism’

TAPPER Felicia Sonmez a ░░░░░░░░ Post Reporter who was ░░░░░░░░ critical of the Post ░░░░░░░░ leadership and you re ░░░░░░░░ of how often she ░░░░░░░░ and I don t ░░░░░░░░ to get into that ░░░░░░░░ your social media policies ░░░░░░░░ I certainly understand where ░░░░░░░░ re coming from but ░░░░░░░░ s one specific instance ░░░░░░░░ I think you re ░░░░░░░░ Just over an hour ░░░░░░░░ TMZ reported that Los ░░░░░░░░ Lakers legend Kobe Bryant ░░░░░░░░ she tweeted a Link ░░░░░░░░ a Daily Beast story ░░░░░░░░ Kobe Bryant s disturbing ░░░░░░░░ case The DNA evidence ░░░░░░░░ accuser s story and ░░░░░░░░ half confession You objected ░░░░░░░░ that She was put ░░░░░░░░ administrative leave while the ░░░░░░░░ investigated She had violated ░░░░░░░░ company s social media ░░░░░░░░ In your book you ░░░░░░░░ being livid over her ░░░░░░░░ First of all I ░░░░░░░░ t think of anything ░░░░░░░░ journalistic in the sense ░░░░░░░░ we are the ones ░░░░░░░░ are supposed to bring ░░░░░░░░ the most uncomfortable truths ░░░░░░░░ the public than that ░░░░░░░░ And second of all ░░░░░░░░ bet there were millions ░░░░░░░░ rape survivors and sexual ░░░░░░░░ survivors that saw her ░░░░░░░░ and thought Thank God ░░░░░░░░ out there is speaking ░░░░░░░░ me BARON Sure Look ░░░░░░░░ mean when we have ░░░░░░░░ obituaries on controversial people ░░░░░░░░ always bring up their ░░░░░░░░ of dishonor We discuss ░░░░░░░░ we report on that ░░░░░░░░ we also assign certain ░░░░░░░░ to do those kinds ░░░░░░░░ stories We don t ░░░░░░░░ anybody in the newsroom ░░░░░░░░ decide to throw out ░░░░░░░░ as they wish whenever ░░░░░░░░ wish and whatever manner ░░░░░░░░ wish And so of ░░░░░░░░ we were going to ░░░░░░░░ with those rape allegations ░░░░░░░░ the obituary that we ░░░░░░░░ writing She decided to ░░░░░░░░ out a tweet less ░░░░░░░░ an hour after it ░░░░░░░░ been confirmed by the ░░░░░░░░ Press the death of ░░░░░░░░ Bryant had been confirmed ░░░░░░░░ the Associated Press She ░░░░░░░░ t involved in the ░░░░░░░░ we didn t ask ░░░░░░░░ to be involved in ░░░░░░░░ story And we took ░░░░░░░░ care we take great ░░░░░░░░ in our coverage of ░░░░░░░░ issues to write those ░░░░░░░░ in a sensitive way ░░░░░░░░ to decide when we ░░░░░░░░ going to publish it ░░░░░░░░ can t have any ░░░░░░░░ of a thousand people ░░░░░░░░ our staff decide taking ░░░░░░░░ themselves to say how ░░░░░░░░ should cover a particular ░░░░░░░░ We assign particular reporters ░░░░░░░░ do it They have ░░░░░░░░ and they re the ░░░░░░░░ who make those judgments ░░░░░░░░ Right But unless you ░░░░░░░░ just going to ban ░░░░░░░░ on your staff from ░░░░░░░░ and social media posts ░░░░░░░░ I still just don ░░░░░░░░ understand what she did ░░░░░░░░ I mean look I ░░░░░░░░ from Philadelphia okay Kobe ░░░░░░░░ went to Lower Merion ░░░░░░░░ School his dad coached ░░░░░░░░ my high school the ░░░░░░░░ varsity basketball I want ░░░░░░░░ believe the myth about ░░░░░░░░ Bryant too But there ░░░░░░░░ this ugly incident in ░░░░░░░░ I don t want ░░░░░░░░ think about it and ░░░░░░░░ certainly didn t want ░░░░░░░░ think about it after ░░░░░░░░ died but what Felicia ░░░░░░░░ is journalism BARON Well ░░░░░░░░ mean look we as ░░░░░░░░ decide who s going ░░░░░░░░ cover a story how ░░░░░░░░ cover a story You ░░░░░░░░ that here TAPPER But ░░░░░░░░ was just tweeting It ░░░░░░░░ just a tweet BARON ░░░░░░░░ wasn t just a ░░░░░░░░ okay It was a ░░░░░░░░ at a particular moment ░░░░░░░░ a particular way that ░░░░░░░░ an enormous reaction where ░░░░░░░░ focused on us at ░░░░░░░░ Washington Post as opposed ░░░░░░░░ focusing on our coverage ░░░░░░░░ Kobe Bryant Of course ░░░░░░░░ were going to cover ░░░░░░░░ and we did And ░░░░░░░░ had covered those rape ░░░░░░░░ aggressively beforehand TAPPER Yeah ░░░░░░░░ why did the Post ░░░░░░░░ why did you respond ░░░░░░░░ strongly to it do ░░░░░░░░ think BARTON Because we ░░░░░░░░ t ask her to ░░░░░░░░ involved in that story ░░░░░░░░ don t feel she ░░░░░░░░ have been involved in ░░░░░░░░ story The people who ░░░░░░░░ have been involved in ░░░░░░░░ story were the people ░░░░░░░░ assigned to be involved ░░░░░░░░ that story and it ░░░░░░░░ attention from the coverage ░░░░░░░░ we were undertaking TAPPER ░░░░░░░░ guess the only other ░░░░░░░░ I want to ask ░░░░░░░░ this is a 2018 ░░░░░░░░ study shows that 81 ░░░░░░░░ women and 43 of ░░░░░░░░ in the U S ░░░░░░░░ experiencing some form of ░░░░░░░░ harassment and or assault ░░░░░░░░ their lifetime You yourself ░░░░░░░░ you were at The ░░░░░░░░ Globe did so much ░░░░░░░░ victims of sexual assault ░░░░░░░░ victims of the Catholic ░░░░░░░░ And I just wonder ░░░░░░░░ maybe you have a ░░░░░░░░ spot on this BARON ░░░░░░░░ don t think I ░░░░░░░░ a blind spot on ░░░░░░░░ And I m glad ░░░░░░░░ pointed that out I ░░░░░░░░ look we did enormous ░░░░░░░░ at The Boston Globe ░░░░░░░░ highlight sexual abuse by ░░░░░░░░ TAPPER Yes I just ░░░░░░░░ you yes 100 I ░░░░░░░░ brought it up BARON ░░░░░░░░ Okay Jake But we ░░░░░░░░ great care with how ░░░░░░░░ did those stories We ░░░░░░░░ t have everybody tweeting ░░░░░░░░ they wanted We didn ░░░░░░░░ have people tweeting about ░░░░░░░░ or anything like that ░░░░░░░░ picked the reporters to ░░░░░░░░ on that We selected ░░░░░░░░ headlines we were very ░░░░░░░░ with the headlines we ░░░░░░░░ very careful with how ░░░░░░░░ stories were written and ░░░░░░░░ s what a news ░░░░░░░░ is supposed to do ░░░░░░░░ s decide how we ░░░░░░░░ going to cover these ░░░░░░░░ issues That s what ░░░░░░░░ wanted to do in ░░░░░░░░ case of Kobe Bryant ░░░░░░░░ s assign the right ░░░░░░░░ to work on it ░░░░░░░░ s have editors involved ░░░░░░░░ those discussions and in ░░░░░░░░ formation of that coverage ░░░░░░░░ those are the people ░░░░░░░░ should focus on it ░░░░░░░░ just anybody on the ░░░░░░░░ TAPPER Look it s ░░░░░░░░ that I agree with ░░░░░░░░ on 95 of the ░░░░░░░░ and we disagree on ░░░░░░░░ tweet Marty Baron the ░░░░░░░░ is Collision of Power ░░░░░░░░ it s great to ░░░░░░░░ you here BARON Thank ░░░░░░░░ ole that I ju