More than 400 Washington Post employees have signed a letter to owner Jeff Bezos, expressing deep alarm over recent leadership decisions that have eroded trust and led to a wave of departures. The letter calls for Bezos' direct involvement in addressing the crisis and restoring the paper's standing.
More than 400 Washington Post staffers sent a letter to the paper's owner, Jeff Bezos , asking him to intervene after a year of crises. The letter asked Bezos, who has owned the paper since 2013, to come to the Post and meet with its leaders.
'We are deeply alarmed by recent leadership decisions that have led readers to question the integrity of this institution, broken with a tradition of transparency, and prompted some of our most distinguished colleagues to leave, with more departures imminent,' the letter says. 'This goes far beyond the issue of the presidential endorsement, which we recognize as the owner's prerogative. This is about retaining our competitive edge, restoring trust that has been lost, and reestablishing a relationship with leadership based on open communication.' One newsroom insider called it notable for its representation of nonunion as well as union signatories. 'It ratchets up the pressure,' said this person, who, like some others, spoke on condition of anonymity to speak freely about internal matters. Their identity is known to Business Insider. Since Bezos bought the paper, the Amazon executive chairman has had regular meetings with the business side but largely stayed out of the news coverage. 'From the very beginning, he told us he wouldn't be involved in any way in the newsroom, or be a hands-on owner,' the Post insider said. 'Our Amazon coverage has been aggressive, and he's never pushed back. I think the plea now is to get him involved now to establish some leadership in the newsroom.' The Post has been battered by a string of recent crises under Will Lewis, its publisher and CEO. NPR reported that the outlet lost a significant number of subscribers after announcing — just days before the US presidential election in November — that it wouldn't endorse a candidate. That decision broke with 40 years of tradition and came after a Kamala Harris endorsement had been planned. Bezos later explained the decision in an opinion column, saying many people believe the media is biased and presidential endorsements don't help. A second Post insider, who is familiar with the subscription numbers, said the paper had won back at least 20% of the subscriptions it lost after the endorsement situation. They said nearly three-fourths of those people who canceled are still using the site while their subscriptions remain active. Since the endorsement controversy, a number of high-profile newsroom figures have defected. They include a Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist, who quit after the paper declined to publish her cartoon that portrayed Bezos and other media and tech CEOs sucking up to a statue of President-elect Donald Trump. David Shipley, the Post's opinion editor, said at the time that he rejected the cartoon because the paper had already published a column on the same topic and that another was scheduled for publication. A third Post insider described a nihilistic feeling at the company amid the talent exodus. They said they felt it would be hard for the paper to move forward under Bezos' ownership in a second Trump administration, given credibility issues with some left-leaning readers. 'A lot of really good institutions are going to have a really hard time in the Trump administration, from higher education to journalism,' this person said. 'And I think the Post, in part because of our own doing, is one of the first to have its walls shook really, really hard.' Lewis earlier faced scrutiny when he replaced the top editor, Sally Buzbee, last year, and then his choice of replacement backed out. He also faced questions over his actions during the aftermath of a UK phone-hacking scandal. Not all Post staffers are in agreement with the petition. Another staffer, the sports columnist Sally Jenkins, said the Post's biggest problem is the underlying business challenges facing it and other legacy media. 'I think the Post is in the middle of trying to find solutions, and it takes a lot of time,' she said. 'Would I love it if Jeff Bezos came to the newsroom? Sure. I just think things are much more complicated than, 'Oh, things will be fine if Jeff Bezos comes in and talks to some editors.'' Like many other news outlets, the paper has struggled on the revenue side. Last week, it began laying off 4% of staff on the business side, Reuters reported.
WASHINGTON POST JEFF BEZOS NEWSROOM CRISIS LEADERSHIP EDITORIAL INDEPENDENCE SUBSCRIBER LOSSES TALENT EXODUS
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Washington Post Opinion Writer Jennifer Rubin Resigns, Blasts Owner Jeff BezosVeteran Washington Post opinion writer Jennifer Rubin has resigned, criticizing the newspaper's billionaire owner, Jeff Bezos, for allegedly prioritizing favor with Republicans over journalistic integrity. Rubin, a vocal critic of Donald Trump, accused Bezos and the paper's management of betraying their audiences and undermining democracy. This follows a string of departures from the Washington Post's editorial board and newsroom, many citing concerns over the paper's direction under Bezos' ownership.
Read more »
Kara Swisher Wants to Take The Washington Post Off Jeff Bezos’ HandsThe veteran tech reporter is putting together a group of investors to make an offer for the storied paper.
Read more »
Cartoonist Quits Washington Post After Bezos-Linked Cartoon RejectedAnn Telnaes, a Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist, resigned from The Washington Post after her cartoon featuring Jeff Bezos was censored. Telnaes stated this was the first time her editorial freedom was compromised, marking a concerning trend for press independence.
Read more »
Washington Post Cartoonist Quits Over Bezos Groveling CartoonAnn Telnaes resigned from the Washington Post after the paper rejected her cartoon depicting Amazon founder Jeff Bezos groveling to President-elect Trump.
Read more »
Washington Post cartoonist quits after drawing of Bezos, other billionaires with Trump rejectedA rough sketch of the cartoon shows several men resembling corporate billionaires kneeling before a man wearing a suit and a long tie, representing Trump.
Read more »
Washington Post Cartoonist Resigns After Trump-Bezos Cartoon RejectedAnn Telnaes, a cartoonist for the Washington Post, resigned after her cartoon depicting Jeff Bezos and other tech and media moguls grovelling before Donald Trump was rejected. Telnaes stated this was the first time her cartoon was killed due to its political target. The Washington Post stated the cartoon's rejection was not due to any outside pressure and cited the publication of related columns on the same topic.
Read more »