Bezos defends The Washington Post’s neutrality amid endorsement controversy
In a personal opinion piece for The Washington Post, Jeff Bezos responded to criticism of the newspaper’s decision to abstain from endorsing a presidential candidate, justifying it as a commitment to impartiality, reports a Kazinform News Agency correspondent, citing CNN.
“Presidential endorsements do nothing to tip the scales of an election,” Bezos, Amazon founder, wrote. “No undecided voters in Pennsylvania are going to say, ‘I’m going with Newspaper A’s endorsement.’ None. 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.”
The controversy intensified as three editorial board members resigned over the lack of endorsement for Vice President Kamala Harris, and thousands of readers canceled their subscriptions. Prominent Washington Post journalists voiced frustration over the timing and handling of the decision, as critics suggested it was an attempt to appease former President Donald Trump, who could return to office. An endorsement of Harris had reportedly been prepared by the editorial board but was vetoed by Bezos.
Addressing these criticisms, Bezos admitted the decision could have been made earlier and acknowledged its unfortunate timing close to the election. He also clarified he had no prior knowledge of a recent meeting between Trump and Blue Origin executives, calling suggestions of a quid pro quo “false.” He added, “Neither campaign nor candidate was consulted or informed… It was made entirely internally.”
The decision drew public criticism from journalists like Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, along with an open letter from Washington Post columnists condemning it as a misstep that undermines the paper’s editorial integrity. Pulitzer-winning editorial writer David Hoffman resigned, citing concern over what he described as a “looming autocracy,” and called the silence a stance he couldn’t support. Former Washington Post editor Marty Baron also questioned the principle behind the move, implying that avoiding an endorsement before an election contradicted the paper’s commitment to informed public debate.