New York magazine and star political reporter part ways after controversy

New York magazine and its highest-profile political reporter are parting ways after details of the reporter’s relationship with a source came to light.
Olivia Nuzzi reportedly stayed in contact with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. after profiling him for the magazine last year. When the newsletter Status wrote about their ongoing relationship in September, people inside and outside the media questioned whether Nuzzi’s reporting on the 2024 election had been fair and accurate.
Nuzzi has acknowledged that she developed a personal relationship with a subject of her reporting, but she has not confirmed reports from The New York Times and Status that her relationship was with Kennedy, according to The Associated Press.
“Kennedy said in a statement that he had only met her once,” the article said.
The controversy further complicated the work of political reporting at a time when public trust in the media is at a record low.
Just one-third of U.S. adults today express a “great deal” or “fair amount” of confidence in the mass media’s ability to cover the news “fully, accurately and fairly,” according to Gallup.
“For the third consecutive year, more U.S. adults have no trust at all in the media (36%) than trust it a great deal or fair amount,” Gallup reported.
The report on Nuzzi and Kennedy from Status, as well as follow-up coverage from other outlets, led New York magazine to investigate Nuzzi’s reporting.
She has been cleared of wrongdoing by internal and external investigations, per The Associated Press.
Still, Nuzzi and her previous bosses agreed that her future is not with New York magazine.
“The magazine and Nuzzi agreed that the best course forward is to part ways. Nuzzi is a uniquely talented writer and we have been proud to publish her work over her nearly eight years as our Washington Correspondent. We wish her the best,” the magazine announced in a post titled “An update to our readers.”
Nuzzi’s attorney released a statement Monday saying that the reporter is looking forward “to the next chapter of her career,” according to CNN.
“Ms. Nuzzi is gratified though not surprised that two different investigations have determined that her reporting on the 2024 campaign was sound and that she did nothing wrong. For nearly eight years, she consistently produced critically celebrated and hugely popular journalism in her capacity as the Washington Correspondent for New York Magazine. She is grateful for the editors, fact checkers, and artists with whom she worked and to the readers who have supported her with their time, subscriptions, and engagement,” the statement said.