Jeff Bezos shakes up Washington Post with radical shift

Martin Baroneditor

It was only weeks ago that The Post described itself as providing coverage for 'all of America',

Baron wrote in an email to the Daily Beast

It’s a Post that’s not going to be for all of America. At a time when we’re talking about freedom and democracy, he’s saying there will not be freedom and liberty on our own pages.”

He said

Martin Baroneditor

There is no doubt in my mind that he is doing this out of fear of the consequences for his other business interests, Amazon [the source of his wealth], and Blue Origin, [which represents his lifelong passion for space exploration],

Baron said

Martin Baroneditor

I have always been grateful for how he stood up for the Post and an independent press against Trump’s constant threats to his business interest,

Baron said

Martin Baroneditor

Now, ... its opinion pages will be open to only some of America, those who think exactly as he does.”

Baron noted

Martin Baroneditor

Bezos argues for personal liberties. But his news organization now will forbid views other than his own in its opinion section,

Baron pointed out, recalling

This is not about siding with any political party. This is about being crystal clear about what we stand for as a newspaper,

Lewis wrote in a memo to staff that was seen by Reuters

We'll cover other topics too of course, ... But viewpoints opposing those pillars will be left to be published by others."

Bezos said in an email to Post staffers that he posted on X

Today, the internet does that job,

Bezos wrote

Democracy dies in darkness."

The century-and-a-half-old paper goes by the tagline

Martin Baroneditor

This is cowardice, with democracy as its casualty. @realdonaldtrump will see this as an invitation to further intimidate owner @jeffbezos (and others). Disturbing spinelessness at an institution famed for courage."

Marty Baron, a former Washington Post editor, wrote in October about the Post's decision not to endorse a political candidate

Eugene DanielswHCA President

This move tears at the independence of a free press in the United States. It suggests the government will choose the journalists who cover the president. In a free country, leaders must not be able to choose their own press corps."

Eugene Daniels, president of the White House Correspondents' Association, in a Tuesday statement after the White House's press pool announcement

I am of America and for America, and proud to be so,

Bezos wrote

I have a feeling this isn’t gonna bring back the 250K subs,

one Post reporter wrote in the paper’s Slack channel on Wednesday ... Justin

Jeff Stein (author)washington Post journalist

Massive encroachment by Jeff Bezos into The Washington Post’s opinion section today - makes clear dissenting views will not be published or tolerated there,

Washington Post chief economics reporter Jeff Stein tweeted on Wednesday

As a hard-news journalist at The Washington Post, there's no shortage of important news to cover. I will keep digging in. As I've stated before: Nothing changes. We ask hard questions and hold those in power to account. That's the job, whether those in power like it or not,

he tweeted

There was a time when a newspaper, especially one that was a local monopoly, might have seen it as a service to bring to the reader’s doorstep every morning a broad-based opinion section that sought to cover all views. Today, the internet does that job.”

Bezos added

Using my ‘personal liberties’ to repost this,

Jorgenson noted

Bezos also affirms that he is “of America” and wants to celebrate these uniquely American values that have lead to innovation and prosperity. He believes these viewpoints are underserved in the current newspaper environment (he’s right),

he continued

I suggested to him that if the answer wasn’t ‘hell yes,’ then it had to be ‘no,

Bezos wrote