Bezos Discusses WaPo's Decision to Stop Presidential Endorsements
The Washington Post will refrain from endorsing any presidential candidates in order to combat perceptions of bias, as stated by its owner, Jeff Bezos. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
The Washington Post has decided to end its long-standing practice of endorsing US presidential candidates in an effort to regain the trust of the American public, according to Jeff Bezos, the newspaper’s owner. Bezos shared his thoughts in an op-ed that appeared in the Post on Monday after facing criticism from both current and former staff members.
The newspaper had been making endorsements since 1976, but announced the suspension of this practice on Friday, leading to the resignation of several editors. Previously, the Post's editorial board endorsed Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Joe Biden in 2020. As CNN reported, the staff had prepared an endorsement for Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in anticipation of the upcoming election, but management did not approve it.
In his op-ed, Bezos referenced a Gallup poll revealing that nearly 70% of Americans have little or no trust in the media. He noted, “Our profession is now the least trusted of all. Something we are doing is clearly not working,” and added that “most people believe the media is biased.” He explained, “Presidential endorsements do nothing to tip the scales of an election. What presidential endorsements actually do is create a perception of bias. A perception of non-independence. Ending them is a principled decision, and it’s the right one.”
Bezos acknowledged that the choice to discontinue endorsements so close to the Election Day on November 5 stemmed from "inadequate planning." He maintained that the decision was not influenced by either campaign and emphasized that it was unrelated to a recent meeting between Republican candidate Donald Trump and top Blue Origin executives in Austin, Texas.
A group of 21 opinion columnists at the Post declared the non-endorsement decision “a terrible mistake,” arguing that “this isn’t the right moment, when one candidate is advocating positions that directly threaten freedom of the press and the values of the Constitution.” As a result of this decision, three members of the newspaper's ten-person editorial board have resigned. NPR reported that by midday Monday, over 200,000 people—about 8% of the Post’s paid subscribers—had canceled their digital subscriptions.
The decision to cease endorsements has drawn sharp criticism from many notable journalists, including the former longtime executive editor of the Post, Marty Baron. Likewise, last month, Patrick Soon-Shiong, owner of the Los Angeles Times, announced that his paper would also refrain from making presidential endorsements, which led to a similar backlash and the resignation of editorials editor Mariel Garza.
Throughout his campaign, Trump has accused “the lying media” of a long-standing pattern of unfair coverage against him and his administration. The Harris campaign and its supporters have also claimed that pro-Trump media outlets are spreading “disinformation.”
Camille Lefevre contributed to this report for TROIB News
The newspaper had been making endorsements since 1976, but announced the suspension of this practice on Friday, leading to the resignation of several editors. Previously, the Post's editorial board endorsed Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Joe Biden in 2020. As CNN reported, the staff had prepared an endorsement for Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in anticipation of the upcoming election, but management did not approve it.
In his op-ed, Bezos referenced a Gallup poll revealing that nearly 70% of Americans have little or no trust in the media. He noted, “Our profession is now the least trusted of all. Something we are doing is clearly not working,” and added that “most people believe the media is biased.” He explained, “Presidential endorsements do nothing to tip the scales of an election. What presidential endorsements actually do is create a perception of bias. A perception of non-independence. Ending them is a principled decision, and it’s the right one.”
Bezos acknowledged that the choice to discontinue endorsements so close to the Election Day on November 5 stemmed from "inadequate planning." He maintained that the decision was not influenced by either campaign and emphasized that it was unrelated to a recent meeting between Republican candidate Donald Trump and top Blue Origin executives in Austin, Texas.
A group of 21 opinion columnists at the Post declared the non-endorsement decision “a terrible mistake,” arguing that “this isn’t the right moment, when one candidate is advocating positions that directly threaten freedom of the press and the values of the Constitution.” As a result of this decision, three members of the newspaper's ten-person editorial board have resigned. NPR reported that by midday Monday, over 200,000 people—about 8% of the Post’s paid subscribers—had canceled their digital subscriptions.
The decision to cease endorsements has drawn sharp criticism from many notable journalists, including the former longtime executive editor of the Post, Marty Baron. Likewise, last month, Patrick Soon-Shiong, owner of the Los Angeles Times, announced that his paper would also refrain from making presidential endorsements, which led to a similar backlash and the resignation of editorials editor Mariel Garza.
Throughout his campaign, Trump has accused “the lying media” of a long-standing pattern of unfair coverage against him and his administration. The Harris campaign and its supporters have also claimed that pro-Trump media outlets are spreading “disinformation.”
Camille Lefevre contributed to this report for TROIB News
