Hundreds of Washington Post employees sent a letter to owner Jeff Bezos on Wednesday expressing grave concern about recent leadership decisions and the ensuing exodus of senior colleagues, demanding a meeting with the billionaire so the newspaper can retain its “competitive advantage.”
“We are deeply concerned by recent leadership decisions that have led readers to question the integrity of this institution, have broken the tradition of transparency, and prompted the departure of some of our most distinguished colleagues, with more departures imminent,” the letter obtained by Fox said. Digital countries news.
In reference to Bezos' decision To overturn the liberal editorial board's endorsement last year of Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential election, the letter said it went far beyond that specific decision, which it called Bezos' “privilege.”
“This is about maintaining our competitiveness, regaining the trust we have lost, and re-establishing a relationship with leadership based on open communication,” said the letter, which was reportedly signed by more than 400 employees. “We encourage you to come to our office and meet with postal leaders, as you have in the past, about what's happening at Postal. We understand the need for change, and we are eager to deliver the news in innovative ways. But we need a clear vision we can believe in.”
Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos. (New York Times DealBook Summit 2024 live / posted by Andrew Ross Sorkin)
Anti-Trump writer Jennifer Rubin resigns from The Washington Post, attacking its owner, Jeff Bezos
The staff also prompted Bezos to remember his words when he bought the newspaper in 2013, and helped reaffirm the paper's “values.” The Amazon chief, one of the richest men in the world, has been largely hands-off when it comes to the newspaper's editorial decisions.
The letter appears to be the latest indication of Post employees' distrust of publisher Will Lewis, whom Bezos appointed to lead the newspaper a year ago. Bezos had The staff is really angry In October with his decision to overturn Harris' endorsement at the eleventh hour of the election, which Lewis supported.
“It is an implicit vote of no confidence in Will Lewis and a call for Bezos’s direct participation and engagement,” said former Washington Post media writer Paul Farhi. Fox News Digital From the message that was first leaked Out to NPR Wednesday.
In recent weeks, The Washington Post has seen the departures of such figures as reporters Josh Dawsey, Ashley Parker, Michael Scherer, Tyler Page and Leigh-Anne Caldwell, columnists Jennifer Rubin and Charles Lane, health and science editor Stephen Smith, and veteran editor Mattia Gould.
Anti-Trump columnist Jennifer Rubin attacked Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos on her way out the door. (Screenshot/The Washington Post; Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)
In Rubin's case, she specifically said her decision related to Bezos, who has moved to a libertarian startup called The Contrarian.
“The corporate and billionaire owners of major media outlets have betrayed the loyalty of their audiences and sabotaged journalism's sacred mission — to defend, protect, and promote democracy. The billionaire owner of The Washington Post and its lobbyist management are among the culprits,” she wrote.
She continued: “They undermined the core values of the newspaper’s mission, which are the values of integrity, courage, and journalistic independence. I cannot justify remaining at The Washington Post.” “Jeff Bezos and his cronies are coopting and enabling the most dangerous threat to American democracy — Donald Trump — at a time when a vibrant free press is more important than ever to the survival of our democracy and its ability to thrive.”
The Washington Post begins layoffs, cutting 4 percent of the workforce
(LR) Andrew Ross Sorkin and Jeff Bezos speak onstage during the New York Times Dealbook Summit 2024 at Jazz at Lincoln Center on December 04, 2024 in New York City. ((Photo by Eugene Gologorsky/Getty Images for The New York Times))
Editor-at-large Robert Kagan and several members of the editorial board also resigned last year when Bezos received Harris' endorsement. Amazing post lost 250,000 subscribers About the move, which employees viewed as a surrender by Bezos to Donald Trump before the election and a betrayal of the newspaper's values.
Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Anne Telnis resigned from The Post earlier this month after the newspaper refused to publish her cartoon depicting Bezos groveling to Trump. Former executive editor Sally Buzbee left The Washington Post last June after Lewis reshaped the newsroom.
The newspaper was also exposed to recent headlines about Significant decreases in web trafficreported a loss of $77 million in 2024, and a round of layoffs earlier this month on the side of its business.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“The company feels rudderless right now,” one employee told Fox News Digital earlier this month.
A spokesperson for The Post did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Gabriel Hayes and Joseph A. contributed. Fox News Digital's Wolfson reported on this report.
