William Lewis, publisher and chief executive officer of The Washington Post, announced on Friday that the paper would not be endorsing in the 2024 contest, nor in any future presidential race.
In a post on the paper’s website, he wrote, “The Washington Post will not be making an endorsement of a presidential candidate in this election. Nor in any future presidential election. We are returning to our roots of not endorsing presidential candidates.”
He cited the paper’s editorial board saying back in 1960, “The Washington Post has not ‘endorsed’ either candidate in the presidential campaign. That is in our tradition and accords with our action in five of the last six elections.”
The publisher called the decision “a statement in support of our readers’ ability to make up their own minds on this, the most consequential of American decisions — whom to vote for as the next president.”
Lewis added, “Our job at The Washington Post is to provide through the newsroom nonpartisan news for all Americans, and thought-provoking, reported views from our opinion team to help our readers make up their own minds.”
He concluded, “Most of all, our job as the newspaper of the capital city of the most important country in the world is to be independent. And that is what we are and will be.”
This week, The Los Angeles Times announced it wouldn’t be endorsing a candidate for the first time since 2008. As a result, the paper’s editorials editor Mariel Garza resigned over what she alleges was the owner’s decision to not endorse Vice President Kamala Harris.
“I am resigning because I want to make it clear that I am not okay with us being silent,” Garza told Columbia Journalism Review (CJR) on Wednesday. “In dangerous times, honest people need to stand up. This is how I’m standing up.”
The union representing employees of the L.A Times implored readers not to cancel their subscriptions after criticizing the owner for his role in the paper’s controversial decision not to offer a presidential endorsement this year.
“We know many loyal readers are angry, upset or confused, and some are canceling their subscriptions. Before you hit the ‘cancel’ button: That subscription underwrites the salaries of hundreds of journalists in our newsroom,” the Los Angeles Times Guild Unit Council wrote in a Thursday social media post. “Our member-journalists work every day to keep readers informed during these tumultuous times. A healthy democracy is an informed democracy.”
Fox News’ Alexander Hall and Lindsay Kornick contributed to this report.
This is a developing story, please check back for more details.
