Jeff Bezos Halts Washington Post’s Political Endorsement
The Washington Post’s publisher announced last Friday that the newspaper will abstain from endorsing any candidate in the upcoming U.S. presidential elections. According to reports from within the newsroom, this decision was directly influenced by the paper’s owner, billionaire Jeff Bezos, who specifically intervened to prevent an endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate.
Publisher William Lewis stated that the newspaper is reverting to its traditional stance of not endorsing presidential candidates, a practice it didn’t regularly engage in until 1976. This announcement came shortly after the Los Angeles Times, owned by billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong, also reportedly blocked an endorsement of Harris.
The decision was met with criticism from The Washington Post Guild, the newspaper’s union, which described Bezos’ action as a failure to fulfill journalistic duty, suggesting that it represented undue interference in the editorial process.
Columnist Karen Attiah expressed her disappointment vehemently on social media, labeling the decision as a “complete betrayal.” “What a slap in the face to those of us risking our careers and lives to defend human rights and democracy,” she commented.
Martin “Marty” Baron, a former executive editor of the Post who served from 2012 to 2021 and was praised for his leadership, also condemned the move. He described the decision as an act of cowardice that jeopardizes democracy. “This will be seen by Donald Trump as a green light to further bully Jeff Bezos and others,” he stated on social media, criticizing the lack of backbone in a historically bold institution.
Historical Context of Newspaper Endorsements
Historically, The Washington Post has endorsed the Democratic presidential nominee in every election since 1976, with the exception of 1988 when it made no endorsement. Similarly, the Los Angeles Times had refrained from endorsing candidates for many years but has supported the Democratic nominee in the last four presidential elections, beginning with the 2008 race.
Lewis highlighted that The Post would cease making presidential endorsements altogether and reiterated the paper’s dedication to independent, unbiased journalism. He referenced previous editorial board decisions from 1960 and 1972, which followed similar logic.
Before joining The Post, Lewis was a publisher at The Wall Street Journal, owned by the conservative billionaire Rupert Murdoch. His time at The Post has been marked by controversies since he took the helm last year.
The precise reasons behind Bezos’ apparent move to halt the endorsement of Harris remain unclear. However, he has reportedly instructed the newspaper’s leadership to attract more conservative readers and to incorporate more right-leaning opinion columns, as per The New York Times.
Observers speculate that both Bezos, founder of Amazon, and Soon-Shiong, a biotech mogul, might be wary of antagonizing Trump due to potential repercussions for their businesses. Columbia Journalism Review’s Sewall Chan pointed out that Soon-Shiong’s involvement in developing new pharmaceuticals could be impacted by FDA approvals, while Amazon is currently facing an antitrust lawsuit initiated by the Biden administration.
On the same day, Robert Kagan, a prominent neoconservative columnist at the Post, resigned in protest, as reported by Semafor, which also hinted at possible further resignations.
“People are shocked, furious, surprised,” a member of the editorial board disclosed to Semafor, criticizing the lack of courage in newspaper ownership. “If you don’t have the guts to run a newspaper, then don’t own one.”
Meanwhile, other major newspapers have continued to endorse Harris, including The Philadelphia Inquirer, which emphasized the critical role of Pennsylvania in the election. Columnist Will Bunch remarked on social media, “Unlike some news organizations, we refuse to be silenced when the stakes are so high for democracy.”
The New York Times also officially supported Harris on September 30, denouncing Trump as both morally and temperamentally unfit for the presidency.
Similar Posts
- Top Washington Post Cartoonist Resigns Over Censored Jeff Bezos Critique!
- LA Times Editor Quits Over Billionaire’s Block of Harris Endorsement!
- Billionaire Jeff Bezos Aims to Assist Trump in Slashing Regulations
- Doctor Slams LA Times for Twisting His RFK Jr. Op-Ed: ‘Pretty Sh*tty’
- Bernie Sanders Blasts US Oligarchy in Explosive Fox News Op-Ed!
An economic reporter, Dax Everly breaks down financial trends and their impact on Americans’ daily lives.