Executives from The New York Times, BuzzFeed and Bloomberg News have responded to Trump’s recent executive order banning immigrants from Muslim-majority countries in the Middle East.
The responses range from outright condemnation of President Trump’s ban to reaffirming their commitment to supporting employees regardless of their countries of origin.
Jonah Peretti, the CEO of BuzzFeed, sent a letter to employees over the weekend castigating Trump for “let(ing) fear drive our government policy.”
Our thoughts are with the victims of this recent executive order, our employees around the world, including Muslims and their families abroad, refugees, and everyone whose lives may be turned upside down by this policy.
These changes in government policy do not change BuzzFeed’s ongoing commitment to support and respect all of our employees and our diverse audience around the world.
Michael Bloomberg, the founder of Bloomberg News, sent a scathing note to employees Sunday that says the ban “run(s) counter to the core values of our company, and, I believe, the values that have made the U.S. a beacon of freedom and an engine of global progress,” Politico reported.
He said he was “deeply concerned” about the impact of the policies and would do “everything possible to minimize any disruptions these policies may cause.”
The New York Times struck a less belicose note with a statement from CEO Mark Thompson and Publisher Arthur Sulzberger, Jr. which noted the Times’ commitment to “do everything in our power to support and protect every one of our colleagues, regardless of their race, country of origin, and religion or belief system.”
“Our legal and human resources departments are addressing questions as they arise, and stand ready to advise and help if you have particular concerns about how this policy might affect you or your family, no matter where you sit in the organization.”
Benjamin Mullin is the managing editor of Poynter.org. He previously reported for Poynter as a staff writer, Google Journalism Fellow and Naughton Fellow, covering journalism innovation, business practices and ethics. He’s also reported for USA TODAY College and The Sacramento Bee, and he was editor in chief of The Orion, Chico State’s student-run newspaper. An Air Force brat who grew up around Northern California, he’s still adjusting to the Florida sunshine.
