Washington Post leadership is reviewing tech columnist Taylor Lorenz’s social media activity after a private Instagram story seemingly labeled President Joe Biden as a “war criminal,” which may be connected to what has become a pro-Palestinian meme.
The New York Post’s Jon Levine surfaced the photo in a social media post on Friday, with Lorenz refuting the authenticity of the image. “You people will fall for any dumbass edit someone makes,” the Post columnist replied to Levine.
Taylor Lorenz of the Washington Post calls President Biden a "war criminal" 👀👀 pic.twitter.com/ih0xWPw049
— Jon Levine (@LevineJonathan) August 14, 2024
According to NPR, however, four people with knowledge of the private Instagram story confirmed its authenticity and the included caption. The image was removed from Lorenz’s private story around an hour after it was initially posted, NPR reported on Thursday. The tech columnist then posted the same picture again on social media, removing the inflammatory caption.
The Post columnist was attending a White House event for content creators when the image was supposedly taken. A spokesperson for the Post confirmed to TheWrap that they are “aware of the alleged social media post and are looking into it.”
Whether or not Lorenz faces consequences from the Post for the photo, the tech columnist is considering departing the outlet, according to an individual familiar with the matter.
“She knows she does not fit at The Washington Post,” the individual said, noting that Lorenz has adequately prepared to venture out on her own. In March, Lorenz partnered with Vox Media to launch a video-based podcast titled “Power User,” a content deal completely separate from her staff role at the Post.
Lorenz has told those close to her that a friend took the picture and superimposed the caption as a joke, referencing a viral meme, which the tech columnist then posted to her private story, according to NPR. While the context of Lorenz’s post remains unclear, some pro-Palestinian protestors in the wake of Oct. 7 and the ongoing war in Gaza have labeled Biden a “war criminal” for maintaining U.S. allyship with Israel.
Initially, a community note intended to fact-check Levine’s post noted Lorenz’s denial: “Taylor Lorenz says this is a digital manipulation which has added a false caption.”
The Post columnist first told editors that she did not write the caption herself and someone else had added it after-the-fact. However, now the community note displays NPR’s evidence to confirm the authenticity of the image and who posted it.
“Despite Taylor Lorenz’s denial that she added the caption in question, four people who saw it on her private Instagram story verified its authenticity to NPR,” the fact-check now reads.
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