Jeff bezos Orders Washington Post Opinion Pages to Support ‘Personal Liberties and Free Markets’; Top editor resigns

Jeff bezosThe Amazon Founder and Owner of the washington post, said wedding that his newspaper’s opinion pages would no be dedicated to supporting “Personal liberties and free markets,” and Thaat the Organization WON PUBLISHATION OPPOing Views.

“We’ll cover other topics too of course,” bezos said in an email to post staffers that

While the move garnered praise from some in president Donald Trump‘S Administration, Such as Elon muskIt was panned by some current and former post staffers, Including Former Editor Marty Baron, Who Said He Was “disgusted.”

Bezos said that editorial page editor david shipley, who had the help the job for over two years, decided to Resign rather than lead the opinion section under the new policy.

“I suggested to him that if the answer wasn’t ‘hell yes,’ then it had to be ‘no,” “Bezos said of shipley, adding,” I respect his decision. “

The post will be “searching for a new opinion editor to more this new direction,” Bezos said.

He assemorated that while a major newspaper might oncined it a service to offer its readers “a broad-spoken opinion section that sought to covers,” That is the CASE the CASE.

“Today, The Internet does that job,” Bezos Wrote.

“I’m confident that free markets and personal liberties are right for America,” He added. “I also believe these viewpoints are undersered in the current market of ideas and news opinion. I’m excited for us together to fill that VOID.”

REPRESENTINES for Bezos and The Post, as Well as Shipley, Did Not Immedited CNBC’s requests for additional comment.

By erecting new parameters Around what opinions the post can print, bezos will likely draw fresh accusations

Less than two weeks before the 2024 Presidential Election Between The Republican Trump and Democratic Nominee Kamala harrisThe post announced that it would not endorse Eather Candidate, Breaking with Decades of Recent Precedent.

The post in a News article At the time reported that the paper’s editorial staff had planned to endorse harris, and that bezos Himself made the decision to end the tradition.

Four Days Later, The Newspaper Reported That at least 250,000 of its readers had canceled their subscriptions following the policy shift.

After Trump Won The Election, Bezos’ Amazon joined with numerous other tech giants in donating Hefty sums to the then-president-elect’s Inaugural FundWhile bezos stepped down as ceo of the company in 2021, He Still serves as its executive Chairman.

Bezos was also spotted Dining with Trump at his mar-a-lego home and club in Florida. The tech megabillionaire later attnded trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, Standing AlongSide Meta boss Mark zuckerbergApple Ceo Tim CookGoogle Leader Sundar pichai And Musk, The Tesla And Spacex Ceo.

Musk, who leads Trump’s Government-Slashing Task Force Known as Doge, Praised Bezos for implementing the editorial change.

Multiple staffers have recently quit the post in protest. Cartoonist Ann telnaes Left the paper in early january, after accusing her bosses of killing her drawing of businessmen – Including one resambling bezos – Genufflecting at an altar of trump. When she resigned the same month,columnist Jennifer rubin Accused Bezos and Other Rich Media Moguls of Enabling Trump and Betraying their audiences’ Loyalty.

In reaction to bezos’ Announcement Wednsday Morning, Some Have noted That amazon is currently involved in an antitrust lawsuit Brough by the US Federal Trade Commission.

Prior to Trump’s Inauguration, PUCK NEWS First reported That Amazon would pay $ 40 million to license a documentary about the first lady melania trump. The Wall Street Journal Reported This month that melania will pocket more than 70% of that total.

It is not unprecedented for a newspaper’s owner to involve themselves in editorial decisions, new york university journey journalism Professor Adam penenberg told cnbc. He pointed to the new york post’s conservative shift after rubert murdoch’s takeover in 1976, and Sheldon Adelson’s Push to Make the Las Vegas Review-Journal more Pro-Business.

But penenberg noted that bezos’ Order for his paper’s editorial pages to comply with specific ideological views sets heam apart.

The announsement spurred a range of initial responses from reporters at the post – some of who said the news department will not be affected.

“As i’ve stated before: Nothing changes,” Wrote Dan Lamothe, Who Covers Military Affairs, on X Later Wednsday Morning. “We ask hard questions and hold that there in power to account. That’s the job, whicher there that in power like it or not.”

But Chief Economic Reporter Jeff Stein Called Bezos’ Decision a “Massive Encroachment” Into The Paper’s Opinion Section that “Make Clear Dissenting Views will not be published or tolehed.”

“I still have not felt encroachment on my journey on the news side of cover Wrote on x,

Baron, who retired as editor of the post in 2021 after eight years in the role, slammed bezos in a scathing statement to the Daily Beast Later Wednsday.

“What Bezos is Doing Today Runs Counter to What He Said, and Actually Practiced, during during my tenure at the post,” Baron said. “I have always given grateful for how he study up for the post and an independent press against Trump’s Constant Threats to His Business Interests

Philip Bump, A Current Post Opinion Columnist, Wrote on Bluesky: “What the actual f —.”