Hundreds of Washington Post staffers sent a letter to owner Jeff Bezos on Wednesday expressing grave concern at recent leadership decisions and the ensuing exodus of high-profile colleagues, asking for a meeting with the billionaire so the newspaper could retain its “competitive edge.”
“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 obtained by Fox News Digital states.
Alluding to Bezos’ decision to quash the liberal editorial board’s planned endorsement last year of Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential election, the letter said this went far beyond that particular decision, which it called Bezos’ “prerogative.”
“This is about retaining our competitive edge, restoring trust that has been lost, and reestablishing a relationship with leadership based on open communication,” the letter states, reportedly signed by more than 400 staffers. “We urge you to come to our office and meet with Post leaders, as you have in the past, about what has been happening at the Post. 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.”
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The staffers also pushed Bezos to recall his words when he purchased the newspaper in 2013 and help reaffirm the “values” of the paper. The Amazon chief, who is one of the richest men in the world, had largely been hands-off with regards to the paper’s editorial decisions.
The letter appears to be the latest indication of a lack of faith by Post staffers in publisher Will Lewis, whom Bezos tapped to lead the paper a year ago. Bezos had already infuriated staffers in October with his decision to cancel the Harris endorsement at the 11th hour of the election, which Lewis supported.
“It’s an implicit vote of no confidence in Will Lewis and a plea for Bezos’ direct engagement and involvement,” former Post media writer Paul Farhi told Fox News Digital of the letter, which was first leaked out to NPR on Wednesday.
In recent weeks, the Post has seen the departures of such figures as reporters Josh Dawsey, Ashley Parker, Michael Scherer, Tyler Page and Leigh Ann Caldwell, columnists Jennifer Rubin and Charles Lane, health and science editor Stephen Smith and veteran editor Matea Gold.
In Rubin’s case, she specifically said her decision was about Bezos, decamping for a liberal start-up called The Contrarian.
“Corporate and billionaire owners of major media outlets have betrayed their audiences’ loyalty and sabotaged journalism’s sacred mission – defending, protecting and advancing democracy. The Washington Post’s billionaire owner and enlisted management are among the offenders,” she wrote.
“They have undercut the values central to The Post’s mission and that of all of journalism integrity, courage, and independence. I cannot justify remaining at The Post,” she continued. “Jeff Bezos and his cronies accommodate and enable the most acute threat to American democracy – Donald Trump – at a time when a vibrant free press is more essential than ever to our democracy’s survival and capacity to thrive.”
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Editor-at-large Robert Kagan and multiple editorial board members also resigned last year when Bezos spiked the Harris endorsement. The Post lost a staggering 250,000 subscribers over the move, which was viewed by staff as a capitulation by Bezos to Donald Trump before the election and a betrayal of the paper’s values.
Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Ann Telnaes also resigned from The Post earlier this month after the outlet refused to publish her cartoon depicting Bezos groveling to Trump. Former executive editor Sally Buzbee left the Post last June after Lewis’ reshuffling of the newsroom.
The paper has also been hit by recent headlines about huge declines in web traffic, a reported $77 million loss in 2024, and a round of layoffs earlier this month on its business side.
“The company feels rudderless right now,” one staffer told Fox News Digital earlier this month.
A spokesperson for the Post didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Gabriel Hays and Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this report.
