Jeff Bezos is constant his radical overhaul over at The Washington Submit.
The billionaire and former Amazon CEO, who has not too long ago turn out to be more and more sympathetic to Donald Trump, shared in a publish on the X platform a notice that he had despatched to Submit staff that the opinion pages would now concentrate on selling “private liberties and free markets.”
In response to the modifications, the paper’s opinion editor David Shipley determined to “step away.”
His notice defined:
I’m writing to let you recognize a couple of change coming to our opinion pages.
We’re going to be writing each day in assist and protection of two pillars: private liberties and free markets. We’ll cowl different matters too in fact, however viewpoints opposing these pillars will probably be left to be revealed by others.
There was a time when a newspaper, particularly one which was an area monopoly, may need seen it as a service to convey to the reader’s doorstep each morning a broad-based opinion part that sought to cowl all views. Right this moment, the web does that job.
I’m of America and for America, and proud to be so. Our nation didn’t get right here by being typical. And an enormous a part of America’s success has been freedom within the financial realm and in every single place else. Freedom is moral — it minimizes coercion — and sensible — it drives creativity, invention, and prosperity.
I provided David Shipley, whom I vastly admire, the chance to guide this new chapter. I advised to him that if the reply wasn’t “hell sure,” then it needed to be “no.” After cautious consideration, David determined to step away.
This can be a important shift, it received’t be simple, and it’ll require 100% dedication — I respect his determination. We’ll be looking for a brand new Opinion Editor to personal this new path.
I’m assured that free markets and private liberties are proper for America. I additionally consider these viewpoints are underserved within the present market of concepts and information opinion. I’m excited for us collectively to fill that void.
I shared this notice with the Washington Submit workforce this morning:
I’m writing to let you recognize a couple of change coming to our opinion pages.
We’re going to be writing each day in assist and protection of two pillars: private liberties and free markets. We’ll cowl different matters too…
— Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) February 26, 2025
Bezos has imposed drastic modifications on the paper over the previous 12 months, primarily within the form of job cuts.
Nonetheless, he has additionally tried to vary the paper’s editorial path, most notably by refusing to endorse Kamala Harris within the 2024 presidential race.
In January, it was reported that the paper’s visitors has cratered over the previous few years, falling a staggering 90 p.c since 2021.
It has additionally skilled a major decline in income, with Bezos making it clear that he doesn’t intend to subsidize its losses.
There was speculation at one level that Bezos meant to promote the paper to finance different ventures, though this concept now seems to have been placed on maintain and even shelved.
REPORT: Washington Post’s Traffic is Cratering – Has Fallen by Nearly 90 Percent Since 2021
