New York Post fires employee behind 'vile and reprehensible' headlines

An employee was behind the violent and racist headlines published on the New York Post's website and Twitter account this week, according to the tabloid, contrary to its initial "hacking" claim. A statement from the New York Post, which did not identify the employee, said the worker has been terminated and the posts they made have been deleted from their platforms.

"The New York Post's investigation indicates that the unauthorized conduct was committed by an employee, and the employee has been terminated. This morning, we immediately removed the vile and reprehensible content from our website and social media accounts," read the company's statement, according to Deadline.

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The now-deleted posts on Twitter included headlines about assassinating Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, as well as a fake quote from New York Gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin stating he would rape Governor Kathy Hochul. The Post initially said their website and Twitter account had been "hacked," before later clarifying that one of its employees was behind the disturbing headlines.

In response to the incident, Hochul's office issued a statement condemning the headlines.

"The New York Post has long fostered an ugly, toxic conversation on their front pages and social accounts, but these posts are more disgusting and vile than usual," read the statement, as published by press secretary Jen Goodman. "The New York Post needs to immediately explain how this reprehensible content was made public. While the Post has made its preferences very clear in the New York Governor's race, there is no room for this violent, sexist rhetoric in our politics."

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The New York Post, which is owned by News Corp, is dubbed as one of the "most resilient newspapers through the pandemic," according to data from the Alliance for Audited Media (AAM). It is the fifth largest daily newspaper in the US with a circulation of 146,649. On Twitter, the tabloid has over 2.8 million followers.

The role of social media policy

This most recent case of online misbehaviour only highlights the importance of establishing a social media policy in the workplace. Granted, the employee used the tabloid's official platform, but what if the situation was different and the employee published such headlines on their personal account?

James Blackwell, CEO of Ronald James, previously told HRD that employers and employees need to be extra careful online to ensure that they don't damage their company's reputation. Establishing a clear employee code of conduct may help address this issue, according to Blackwell, adding that employee agreements and online training may also help.

Read more: Fired over WhatsApp? Social media policies in the 'switched on' age

Heather Melick and Ethan Wall, social media and law experts, added that employers could provide specific examples of unacceptable behaviour, so employees know what to avoid.

"There is no 'one-size-fits-all' social media policy. You should tailor your policy to the specific needs of your company. For example, if your company has trade secrets then ensure that your policy prohibits employees from posting that type of sensitive information on any social media platform," they told HRD.