The Washington Post Building at One Franklin Square Building on June 5, 2024 in Washington, DC.
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The Washington Post said Friday it would not endorse a candidate in this year’s presidential election, breaking a decades-old tradition and prompting immediate criticism of the decision.
The newspaper also on Friday published an article by two staff reporters who said that the editorial page staff had made an endorsement of Kamala Harris about Donald Trump in the election.
“The decision not to publish was made by the owner of The Post – Amazon founder Jeff Bezos,” The Post reported, citing two sources briefed on the event.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos arrives for a meeting with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson at the British diplomatic residence on September 20, 2021 in New York City.
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Post chief executive Will Lewis, in an online explanation of the decision, wrote, “The Washington Post will not make an endorsement of any presidential candidate in this election. Nor in future presidential elections.”
“We are going back to the roots of not endorsing a presidential candidate,” Lewis wrote.
“We know that this will be read in many different ways, including as a
tacit endorsement of one candidate, or as a condemnation of another, or as an abdication of responsibility,” he wrote. “That must be done. We don’t see it that way. We see it as consistent with the values The Post has always stood for and what we expect in our leaders: character and courage in the service of American ethics, veneration for the rule of law, and respect for human freedom in all aspects. “
The announcement comes days after The Los Angeles Times’ editorial board chief resigned in protest after the paper’s owner Patrick Soon-Shiong decided not to run for president.
Soon-Shiong, like Bezos, is a billionaire.
“@realdonaldtrump will see this as an invitation to further intimidate owner @jeffbezos (and others),” Baron wrote. “Disturbing spinelessness at an institution known for its courage.”
The Washington Post Guild, the trade union that represents the newspaper’s staff, in a statement posted on the X social media site said it is “very concerned that The Washington Post – the American news institution in the nation’s capital – will make the decision to no longer endorse presidential candidates, especially just 11 days before the very important election.”
“The message from our chief executive, Will Lewis – not from the Editorial Board itself – makes us worry that management is interfering with the work of our members in the Editorial,” the Guild said in a statement, which noted the paper’s report on Bezos’ role in it. decision.
“We’ve seen cancellations from loyal readers,” Guild said. “This decision undermines the work of our members when we need to build the trust of our readers, it will not be lost.”
Marty Baron, former editor of The Washington Post, called the newspaper’s decision “cowardly, with democracy at stake.”
″@realdonaldtrump will see this as an invitation to further intimidate owner @jeffbezos (and others),” Baron wrote. “Disturbing spinelessness at an institution known for its courage.”
Rep. Ted Lieu, Democrat from California, in his own tweet on the news wrote, “The first step to fascism when the free press cowers fear.”
This expands the news. Check back for updates.
