The most prestigious New Yorker festival has seen speculations and criticisms regarding the announcement of an onstage interview with Stephen K. Bannon, the ex-chairman of Breitbart News and a former adviser to President Trump, which led to an outcry on Twitter and among some members of the magazine’s staff. Critics felt that the interview, to be conducted by the magazine’s editor, David Remnick, would have provided a platform for Bannon’s hard-right, anti-immigrant views. A number of celebrities who were scheduled to appear at the festival, including the writer and director Judd Apatow and the comedians Patton Oswalt and John Mulaney decided to boycott the programme.

After having a round of discussions with his staff , Remnick, the Editor of NewYorker magazine said that he had erred in inviting Bannon,which provoked and that he would seek an alternate forum for the interview. Bannon got provoked by his decision and he called it as a gutless decision from the magazine. Even Some journalists questioned Remnick’s decision to cancel the interview , asking why an interview would be perceived as an endorsement, rather than an interrogation, of an influential figure’s views.

The New Yorker’s own editorial team was divided. Alexandra Schwartz, a staff writer, wrote on Twitter that she was “hugely relieved that the event will not happen.” Her colleague Malcolm Gladwell replied: “Call me old-fashioned. But I would have thought that the point of a festival of ideas was to expose the audience to ideas. If you only invite your friends over, it’s called a dinner party.”
It was not clear how many of the celebrities who had objected to Bannon’s participation now planned to return. Apatow, in an email, said he now planned to attend. A New Yorker spokeswoman said several speakers had reconfirmed their participation, while others were still considering it.

Many critics say that political journalists have faced questions about the wisdom of giving a venue to divisive figures like Bannon, even as incendiary, Breitbart-style views have been embraced by a significant portion of Americans.
“I’m not going to congratulate the New Yorker for rescinding an invitation that should have never been offered or for believing there was valuable intellectual insight to be gained from a polite conversation w/ a fascist,” the author Roxane Gay, who is a contributing opinion writer to The New York Times, wrote on Twitter.

The uproar over the festival was a reminder of The New Yorker’s unique place in the media ecosystem. Bannon appeared at a Financial Times forum in March, and he is scheduled to speak at an event sponsored by The Economist this month; both attracted relatively little comment.

Readers of The New Yorker, though, and particularly the die-hards who attend the annual event, feel an attachment to the magazine and its cosmopolitan values. Remnick, in a note to his staff, wrote that the festival’s unique atmosphere was a factor in why he had changed his mind.

The festival was a pioneer of the ticketed live events increasingly common in the news business. Publications including The Times, facing dwindling revenue, have created conferences and forums where readers pay to interact with journalists and newsmakers.

Among the sponsors of this year’s New Yorker Festival are Hennessy VSOP, the beverage behemoth, and the auto manufacturer Land Rover. Losing big draws like the actor Jim Carrey, who also said he would not participate if the interview with Bannon was on the bill, might have jeopardized the event’s success.