Bezos sparks controversy with Washington Post's neutrality shift
The management of the American newspaper "The Washington Post" has decided that the editorial team will not endorse any candidate for president. However - according to CNN - a draft endorsement for Kamala Harris has already been created. The newspaper's owner, billionaire Jeff Bezos, is said to have decided to maintain neutrality. His decision did not sit well with many people in the newsroom.
Bezos’ decision breaks a long-standing tradition. "The Washington Post" has endorsed a candidate for President of the United States in every election since the 1980s. The billionaire wants the paper to end this practice permanently.
- We are returning to our roots of not endorsing presidential candidates. We see it as consistent with the values The Post has always stood for and what we hope for in a leader: character and courage in service to the American ethic, veneration for the rule of law, and respect for human freedom in all its aspects - said Will Lewis, the newspaper's publisher, on Friday.
Meanwhile, as reported by CNN, a draft "endorsement for Vice President Kamala Harris" has already been created in "The Washington Post" newsroom. The text was ready for approval by the board but has not yet been presented to the newspaper's authorities.
The major newspaper returns to neutrality. Outrage in the newsroom
Bezos’ decision sparked outrage among "The Washington Post" employees and board members. Editor-in-chief Robert Kagan told CNN that this was the reason for his resignation.
Former Editor-in-Chief Mary Baron, who led the newspaper when Trump supporters stormed Congress on 6 January 2021, also spoke out.
"This is cowardice, a moment of darkness that will leave democracy as a casualty. Donald Trump will celebrate this as an invitation to further intimidate The Post’s owner, Jeff Bezos (and other media owners). History will mark a disturbing chapter of spinelessness at an institution famed for courage" - Baron wrote on social media.
Trump at war with "The Washington Post"
Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed his disdain for "The Washington Post". When he was president, he called the newspaper "The Fake News Washington Post" and accused it of lobbying for Amazon, founded by Bezos.
"Trump directly accused Amazon of not paying enough in taxes and taking advantage of the US Postal Service. The Trump administration also blocked Amazon’s $10 billion cloud computing contract with the Pentagon, which was widely seen at the time as Trump seeking retribution against Bezos over the Post’s reporting" - recalls CNN.
A few days before Bezos' decision, Patrick Soon-Shiong, owner of "The Los Angeles Times", blocked the planned endorsement for Kamala Harris. In protest, three members of the editorial board resigned.
