Photo credit: www.thewrap.com
Ryan Lizza Faces Cease and Desist Order from Politico
On Tuesday, Ryan Lizza, a former reporter for Politico, revealed that he has received a cease and desist order from the legal representatives of his former employer. This order comes in response to comments he made regarding Politico’s approach to covering Donald Trump, and it demands the removal of not only those remarks but also the entire article where they were published.
For six years, Lizza served as Politico’s Chief Washington Correspondent and co-authored “The Playbook” newsletter. However, he announced in an essay on Monday that he is no longer associated with Politico, coinciding with the launch of his new Substack newsletter, Telos.
Prior to this announcement, Lizza had not contributed to Politico for nearly six months. He took a leave of absence after becoming embroiled in a controversy involving his ex-fiancée, Olivia Nuzzi, who faced scrutiny over her relationship with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
In his inaugural post on Telos, Lizza expressed that the primary reason for his departure was his belief that Politico’s coverage style does not adequately address the current “democratic peril” facing the nation. He elaborated that he observed firsthand how susceptible media organizations can be when dealing with administrations led by figures like Trump, particularly when leadership is not aligned with journalistic integrity.
Lizza also commented critically on Politico’s decision to allow one of its reporters to attend the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), which he termed a “regrettable mistake.” He suggested that this action was an effort to placate Trump, reflecting poorly on the outlet’s commitment to unbiased journalism.
In response to Lizza’s criticisms, Politico has asserted that he has breached a non-disparagement clause from the separation agreement he signed upon leaving. The organization is insisting that he retract the article in its entirety, a claim Lizza has vehemently contested.
He maintains that his comments do not constitute disparagement but rather fall within the realm of constructive criticism. Lizza stated, “Writing that ‘Politico made a regrettable mistake’ is the definition of respectful criticism. Far from being of little worth, I believe Politico is important—and I also believe there’s a lot of room for improvement and I’m not going to be censored or intimidated by legal threats.”
Lizza speculated that the cease and desist letter might have been issued in haste by an attorney at Politico and expressed hope that the editorial staff would reconsider the requested censorship. He concluded, asserting that he wishes for a resolution that allows for free expression of journalistic critique within the media landscape.
Source
www.thewrap.com