Additional Coverage:
- ‘I agonized over it:’ Behind the scenes with the reporter who uncovered the RFK Jr./Olivia Nuzzi story. (newsbreak.com)
A star journalist for New York magazine, Olivia Nuzzi, is on leave after her inappropriate relationship with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. came to light.
This is a journalism issue because it raises questions about potential conflicts of interest, given Nuzzi’s coverage of the 2024 presidential campaign and Kennedy Jr.’s involvement in it.
New York magazine acknowledges the violation of its conflict of interest standards and apologizes for the breach of trust with its readers.
Nuzzi has also apologized for not disclosing the relationship sooner, but neither she nor New York magazine has explicitly named Kennedy Jr. as the individual involved.
The story is significant because it involves a prominent journalist who has interviewed high-profile figures like Donald Trump and has significant influence in American politics.
The journalist who broke the story, Oliver Darcy, acknowledges the sensitivity of reporting on private lives but believes the story is important due to the conflict of interest issues it raises.
Darcy emphasizes that he agonized over publishing the story but ultimately decided it was his responsibility as a journalist to do so.
Nuzzi’s subsequent statement clarifying that the relationship was non-physical does not diminish the significance of the story, according to Darcy, as New York magazine has taken the matter seriously and suspended her from covering the presidential campaign.
Darcy’s independent media venture has seen success with the scoop, leading to real-time subscription growth.