NEW YORK
Both current and former staff members of The Washington Post are pushing back against owner Jeff Bezos after he announced a major shift in the paper’s editorial stance. In the new direction under Amazon.com owner Bezos, the Opinion section will primarily focus on “personal liberties” and “free markets.”
On Wednesday, Bezos announced on X that the section would publish daily opinion pieces “in support and defense of” these two “pillars.” While other topics will still be covered, he made it clear that “viewpoints opposing those pillars will be left to be published by others.”
Wednesday’s announcement also revealed that David Shipley, the editor of the Opinion section, had stepped down from his position after being offered by Bezos “the opportunity to lead this new chapter.” Shipley was among the editors who dealt with the backlash from Bezos’ controversial October decision to block an endorsement for a presidential candidate, which many assumed would have been Vice President Kamala Harris, who ended up losing the race.
That decision resulted in the paper losing 250,000 subscribers in protest – with many reportedly believing Bezos was trying to court favor with Donald Trump, in case he won the presidency, which he later did – and Shipley had opposed it, CNN reported.
Bezos explained Shipley’s resignation in his announcement, saying he had given him the opportunity to lead the Opinion section’s new direction.
He added: “I offered David Shipley, whom I greatly admire, the opportunity to lead this new chapter. I suggested to him that if the answer wasn’t ‘hell yes,’ then it had to be ‘no.’ After careful consideration, David decided to step away.”
Bezos also added: “I’m confident that free markets and personal liberties are right for America. I also believe these viewpoints are underserved in the current market of ideas and news opinion. I’m excited for us together to fill that void.”
-‘Business interests over the paper’s values’
Marty Baron, the Post’s former executive editor who led the paper to 11 Pulitzer Prizes, criticized Bezos in a statement to CNN. He accused Bezos of undermining personal liberties by “cravenly yielding to a president who shows no respect for liberty” and prioritizing business interests over the paper’s values.
Baron added: “It was only weeks ago that The Post described itself as providing coverage for ‘all of America.’ Now its opinion pages will be open to only some of America, those who think exactly as he does.”
Former Senior Managing Editor Cameron Barr announced on LinkedIn that he is ending his “professional association” with the Post. He criticized Bezos’ changes as “an unacceptable erosion of its commitment to publishing a healthy diversity of opinion and argument.” Barr also pointed to Bezos’ “public expression congratulating Donald Trump” and presence at the president’s Jan. 20 inauguration as signs that he is not maintaining the discretion expected of the paper’s owner.
Former Post Editor David Maraniss wrote on social media platform Bluesky: “The old Washington Post is gone. I will never write for it again as long as he’s the owner.”
Although Bezos’ changes only apply to the Opinion section, at least two reporters have publicly reassured readers that they won’t accept interference in the newsroom. Post economy reporter Jeff Stein described the shift on X as a “massive encroachment by Jeff Bezos.”
Stein added: “I still have not felt encroachment on my journalism on the news side of coverage, but if Bezos tries interfering with the news side I will be quitting immediately.”
-Friend or foe
Following Bezos’ announcement, Executive Editor Matt Murray sought to reassure staff in an email, stating that while the Opinion section is “traditionally the provenance of the owner at news organizations,” the newsroom will “continue to pursue engaging, impactful journalism without fear or favor,” CNN reported.
CEO and publisher Will Lewis also said the shift is “not about siding with any political party” but about “being crystal clear about what we stand for as a newspaper,” adding that “doing this is a critical part of serving as a premier news publication across America and for all Americans.”
Bezos bought the famed newspaper in 2013, and during Donald Trump’s first term in 2017-2021, became a frequent target of the president’s criticisms. In his second term, Trump and Bezos have apparently reached a better relationship, as shown by Bezos attending his inauguration.
Trump has been known to threaten businesses that he has differences with, and some observers had predicted that if he won a second term he would “go after” Bezos.
