The New York Times’ investigation into who leaked details of a canned episode of The Daily podcast that tackled a controversial story on the Israeli-Gaza war has ended without a definitive answer, executive editor Joe Kahn told staff on Monday.
A Times spokesperson confirmed the results of the probe to The Daily Beast. The news was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.
“I want to reiterate the central concern in this case, which is that we need to be able to rely on our colleagues to maintain confidentiality during the reporting and editing process,” Kahn told staffers in a memo on Monday. “Reporters, editors and producers need to be able to have candid exchanges and disagreements about the best way to tackle a difficult piece of journalism with the understanding that those exchanges will strengthen the story, not become the story.”
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The investigation started months after The Intercept revealed that Daily producers iced a January episode on a Times investigation into Hamas’ use of sexual violence during its Oct. 7 attack on Israel. The report launched an internal firestorm within the Times newsroom over how the story was reported, according to The Intercept, and came under renewed attack after a freelancer who worked on the story was found to have liked a X post that demanded Israel turn the Gaza Strip into a “slaughterhouse.”
“The breach that occurred should upset anyone who wants to have transparency in our editorial processes and to encourage candid exchanges about stories as they evolve,” Kahn wrote. “We work together with trust and collegiality everyday on everything we produce, and I have every expectation that this incident will prove to be a singular exception to an important rule.”
Kahn told the Journal last week that the leak felt like “a breakdown in the sort of trust and collaboration” and crossed a line. A Times lawyer who questioned staffers during the investigation asked for the names of a staff group chat comprised of Middle Eastern and North African employees and for those who complained about the controversial story, according to the Journal.
