DID BLOOMBERG SPIKE CHINESE CORRUPTION EXPOSÉ?

The editor-in-chief of Bloomberg News spiked an exposé about alleged corruption involving China’s richest man and top government officials because he was concerned that China might close down the Bloomberg offices, published reports said over the weekend However, the Bloomberg editor, Matthew Winkler, denied the claim, telling the Financial Times, “The reporting as presented to me was not ready for publication.” He declined to comment specifically on whether he had told reporters that he was worried that the Chinese government would kick Bloomberg out of the country if it printed the story, as a New York Times source had alleged. Later, he sent an email to staff, referring to “misleading” reports in rival media about the matter. “I want to assure you that there has been no change in policy on how and when we publish our stories,” he said in the email. But the FT suggested that Bloomberg managing editor Jonathan Kaufman had already signed off on the story, which reportedly involves Wang Jianlin, who is reported to be worth $14.1 billion, and Communist party officials. The newspaper published an email by Kaufman in which he told reporters who had worked on the report, “The story is terrific. I am in awe of the way you tracked down and deciphered the financial holdings and the players. It’s a real revelation.” In its report on the matter, the New York Times observed that the matter “has cast new light on the dilemma that numerous foreign news organizations confront as they navigate the pressures of doing both journalism and business in China.”