Vox Media is ending its deal to distribute former Washington Submit reporter Taylor Lorenz’s podcast and YouTube present after the journalist made a slew of explosive feedback concerning the loss of life of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, a supply near the scenario confirmed.
Semafor scribe Max Tani, who first reported the information, revealed late Sunday that the controversial tech columnist had a short-term partnership that’s set to run out at the start of the 12 months.
Lorenz took to social media on Monday ripping the report as “100% false,” claiming media reporters “lie” about her as she vowed to debate the scenario on her podcast this week.
“This is 100% false and I’m very much still working with Vox, and my show is not up for ‘renewal’ because I actually own 100% of the show and control the distribution, not Vox. Media reporters continue to lie about me! Tune into the pod this week where I’ll discuss :),” she wrote on X.
Vox declined to remark.
A spokesperson for Semafor hit again, saying: “As Max Tani accurately reported, Vox is ending its relationship with Taylor Lorenz in 2025. You can read that story here.”
A supply with information of the deal confirmed the report back to The Submit, including that Lorenz’s deal will expire at the start of 2025.
The particular person didn’t elaborate why Vox wasn’t renewing Lorenz’s contract, however there was a cloud of controversy surrounding the columnist just lately.
Simply final week, Lorenz sparked outrage when she defended her feedback concerning the cold-blooded homicide of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
“And people wonder why we want these executives dead,” Lorenz wrote on BlueSky, a microblogging social media community, alongside an article about how Blue Cross Blue Defend will now not cowl anesthesia for the complete size of some surgical procedures.
The tech reporter made the darkish declaration simply hours after Thompson, 50, was gunned down exterior a Midtown resort, leaving his two sons with out a father.
She later shared one other consumer’s publish stating, “Hypothetically, would it be considered an actionable threat to start emailing other insurance CEOs a simple ‘you’re next’? Completely unrelated to current events btw.”
Lorenz, who just lately launched her personal publication, Person Magazine, went on to assist the criticism of Thompson and different firm executives.
“People have very justified hatred toward insurance company CEOs because these executives are responsible for an unfathomable amount of death and suffering. As someone against death and suffering, I think it’s good to call out this broken system and the ppl in power who enable it,” she wrote.
The journalist tried to downplay her commentary a number of hours later, insisting she solely meant to encourage “peaceful letter-writing campaigns.”
In line with the Semafor report, Vox, which owns shops like New York Journal, Vulture, Intelligencer and The Minimize, made the choice to chop ties with Lorenz earlier than these inflammatory feedback.
known as President Biden a “war criminal.” Obtained by NY Submit
It’s unclear, nevertheless, in the event that they had been swayed by one other current firestorm over Lorenz’s social media publish in August, by which she known as President Biden a “war criminal.”
Lorenz, who had served as a tech columnist for The Washington Submit on the time, got here underneath fireplace after New York Submit reporter Jon Levine posed a photograph on X that Lorenz had uploaded to her Instagram account whereas attending a White Home occasion that includes Biden in August.
The selfie confirmed her sporting a COVID masks with Biden within the background that was captioned “war criminal.”
The Washington Submit launched an inner overview concerning the social media publish.
Lorenz initially claimed the picture was digitally altered, writing on social media: “You people will fall for any dumbass edit someone makes.”
She additionally advised her editors the photograph was a forgery. However Nationwide Public Radio confirmed the authenticity of the picture.
Lorenz finally left The Washington Submit in October. The outcomes of the newspaper’s investigation weren’t launched.
