For the moment, Corey Lewandowski isn’t going anywhere.
That’s the conclusion the media news site Mediaite reached this morning after a series of revisions that walked back a would-be bombshell about the Donald Trump campaign manager-turned CNN political contributor.
Earlier this morning, Mediaite senior editor J.D. Durkin reported that the cable news network had suspended Lewandowski after realizing that he was receiving payments from the Trump campaign in addition to his severance package.
The story was quickly denied by CNN, which told Poynter Lewandowski would be appearing on network air later today.
Then came a series of revisions on Durkin’s story, which I flagged on Twitter (red highlights are deletions, green highlights are additions).
.@Mediaite has walked back its initial report. Now it says Lewandowski has been "pulled." pic.twitter.com/pvkbCraBK9
— Ben Mullin (@BenMullin) September 21, 2016
Now @Mediaite revises its headline: "Pulled," not suspended. No correx. pic.twitter.com/2HUxcphF5D
— Ben Mullin (@BenMullin) September 21, 2016
This @Mediaite story keeps changing. Now the qualifier "at least temporarily" after "pulled." pic.twitter.com/YxpDQFV64O
— Ben Mullin (@BenMullin) September 21, 2016
Now another revision on the @mediaite story: An editor's note with @CNN's denial, plus a revised lede with an open question. No correction. pic.twitter.com/S8co47gu3z
— Ben Mullin (@BenMullin) September 21, 2016
Another revision: @Mediaite had one source, not "sources." Still no correction. pic.twitter.com/C9gXtk6Rkv
— Ben Mullin (@BenMullin) September 21, 2016
Finally a correction from Mediaite: pic.twitter.com/MDFpxPbamb
— Ben Mullin (@BenMullin) September 21, 2016
Another update: pic.twitter.com/FhOi7Ttj4i
— Ben Mullin (@BenMullin) September 21, 2016
In a statement to Poynter, Mediaite Senior Editor Rachel Stockman said the site had more than one source confirming Lewandowski was pulled from CNN’s “New Day” this morning and stands by that assertion. However, Mediaite overstated the facts when it reported he’d been suspended, she said.
Mediaite had more than one source confirming that Corey Lewandowski was pulled from CNN’s New Day this morning because of the ongoing controversy with his payments from the Trump campaign. We stand by that reporting. That was, and is, a legitimate scoop.
Our primary source also said quote “Lewandowski has been suspended” and that source still maintains that, as of this morning, Lewandowski believed he had been suspended. One could argue that by being pulled off the air right before an appearance because of the controversy, that he was “suspended” at least temporarily, but in the end we found that argument was not sufficiently supported by the facts. After hearing back from CNN and reviewing all the information, we concluded that it was at least an overstatement, and made changes accordingly.
