Newsweek fires top editors, senior reporters

Newsweek has fired its editor-in-chief, executive news director and two senior writers after publishing reports regarding financial challenges at the publication and an investigation by the Manhattan district attorney’s office into Newsweek’s parent company.

Editor-in-chief Bob Roe, executive news director Ken Li and senior reporters Josh Saul and Celeste Katz were all fired on Monday and staffers were told to go home for the day, a source close to Newsweek’s newsroom confirmed to The Hill in an email.

The news comes in the wake of recent upheaval at the publication.

Last Thursday, Newsweek Media Group co-owner and CEO Etienne Uzac and his wife, Marion Kim, both resigned. Kim served as head of finance for the media group.

Newsweek, which was founded in 1933, also was raided by the Manhattan D.A.’s office in January.

Newsweek said at the time that it allowed the district attorney’s office to access the company’s computer servers for a technical inspection.

The company added in a statement that it would continue to cooperate with the district attorney’s office moving forward.

A spokesperson for the Manhattan district attorney’s office at the time declined to comment to The Hill on the matter.

The publication was also at the center of controversy last month after tweeting out an image of Martin Luther King Jr. in an open casket, drawing substantial blowback on social media that prompted a deletion of the tweet and an apology.