Jeff Bezos, the billionaire owner of the Washington Post, defended the newspaper’s decision not to endorse a presidential candidate in a note published on Monday evening. Bezos stated that ending editorial endorsements is a principled decision and the right one to make, as it creates a perception of bias at a time when many Americans don’t trust the media. The newspaper’s editorial staff was prepared to endorse Democrat Kamala Harris before the publisher changed course and decided it would be better for readers to make up their own minds. Bezos expressed that he wished the decision had been made earlier, to distance it from the emotions surrounding the election.
The decision not to endorse a candidate has caused unrest within and outside the journalism community. NPR reported that over 200,000 people have canceled their subscriptions to the Washington Post in response to the decision, according to sources within the paper. This loss of subscriptions could impact the financial stability of the newspaper, which had over 2.5 million subscribers last year, primarily digital. Following the announcement, two columnists and three members of the editorial board resigned, while the retired former editor of the Post criticized the decision as “cowardice” on social media. Additionally, the Los Angeles Times also decided not to endorse a presidential candidate, leading to a loss of subscribers for them as well.
Critics have suggested that Bezos, as the owner of Amazon, made the decision to avoid potential retaliation from President Donald Trump, who has criticized the Washington Post’s coverage. Bezos refuted these claims in his column, stating that his wealth and business interests are not used to exert pressure on the newspaper. He emphasized that his views are principled and that he has not influenced the Post’s editorial decisions to serve his own interests. While acknowledging a meeting between the CEO of Blue Origin, one of his companies, and Trump, Bezos stated that he was not aware of it beforehand and reiterated his commitment to ensuring the Post remains relevant.
Bezos highlighted the importance of the journalists at the Washington Post, stating that they work diligently every day to uncover the truth and deserve to be believed. He emphasized that he has not used his ownership of the newspaper to push his personal interests or allow it to become irrelevant. The decision to end presidential endorsements was made to maintain the Post’s credibility and independence in a climate of distrust towards the media. Despite the backlash and resignations that followed the decision, Bezos stands by the choice as a principled and necessary one for the Washington Post’s integrity and reputation.
