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Reports of plagiarism against billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman’s wife, academic Neri Oxman, are “accurate and well-documented,” Business Insider’s chief executive tells staff. Told.
In a memo sent to Business Insider reporters on Sunday, a copy of which was seen by the Financial Times, Chief Executive Barbara Penn announced an internal investigation into the financial news site’s reporting this month. He said this led to a war of words on social media. Ackman and Platform found it to be rigorous and fair.
“We are a journalism organization with high standards and a commitment to truth and fairness,” Penn wrote. “There was no unfair bias or personal, political or religious motivation in pursuing the story.”
German media conglomerate Axel Springer, which owns Business Insider, confirmed the memo’s accuracy.
“We would like to inform you that Business Insider’s CEO has issued a statement regarding this matter. Axel Springer stands by Business Insider and its newsroom.”
Business Insider claimed in two reports on January 4 and 5 that Oxman’s doctoral thesis was “marred by plagiarism.” Oxman is a former professor of materials science at MIT.
The allegation prompted an explosive response from Mr. Ackman, who spent much of December in a high-profile battle to unseat Harvard University president Claudine Gay over plagiarism allegations.
Ackman had been angry with Gay since his controversial comments on the U.S. Congressional Committee’s investigation into anti-Semitism on campuses in the wake of October’s Hamas attack on Israel.
When asked whether students’ threats of genocide against Jews violated Harvard’s code of conduct, Mr. Gay gave an ambiguous response that drew widespread condemnation.
When plagiarism allegations against her surfaced weeks later, Ackman, a prominent Harvard donor, led an online campaign to remove her from public office. She retired earlier this month.
Following Business Insider’s allegations against Mr. Oxman, Mr. Oxman apologized on social media platform He stated that he properly cited sources at the end of paragraphs and in the paper’s bibliography.
But Ackman escalated the disagreement further, attacking Business Insider’s reporting, questioning the article’s author’s integrity, and accusing the platform’s owner, Axel Springer, of making misleading statements. denounced.
X also sought to bring in private equity firm KKR, which is Axel Springer’s largest shareholder.
“How can KKR be the ultimate controlling shareholder of a totally unethical and sleazy media company,” he raged.
Business Insider journalists themselves were outraged by Axel Springer’s decision to order an internal investigation into their reporting as a result of the controversy.
Still, media company executives hope the findings in a report emailed to staff today will reassure them and deter further attacks by Mr. Ackman.
“The process we followed to report, edit and review the article was appropriate, as was the timing. Oxman and Ackman responded through their representatives that they had decided not to comment.” Penn wrote in a memo to staff. “We stand behind our newsrooms and our reporting, and that will continue.”
Spokespeople for Mr. Ackman and Mr. Oxman did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the results of the internal investigation.
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