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Sara Fischer: WashPost opinion editor resigns after Jeff Bezos announces changes to Opinion section
The Washington Post‘s Opinion Section editor David Shipley resigned after owner Jeff Bezos mandated the section prioritize two topics, personal liberties and free markets, and not publish dissenting views in those areas.
Why it matters: The changes will dramatically reshape The Post’s opinion coverage, which has focused on a broad array of issues, especially politics and policy, for decades.
- “This is a significant shift, it won’t be easy, and it will require 100% commitment — I respect his decision,” Bezos wrote in a note to staff Wednesday. “We’ll be searching for a new Opinion Editor to own this new direction.”
The big picture: The new announcement, following a controversial move by Bezos to kill presidential endorsements last year, shows how much Bezos is willing to assert his power to shape public opinion as the owner of one of the country’s largest newspapers.
- The Post lost thousands of subscribers last year over Bezos’ endorsement decision. Members of the Opinion Board resigned in protest.
Zoom in: Bezos said the Post will cover other topics “but viewpoints opposing those pillars will be left to be published by others.”
- “There was a time when a newspaper, especially one that was a local monopoly, might have seen it as a service to bring to the reader’s doorstep every morning a broad-based opinion section that sought to cover all views. Today, the internet does that job,” Bezos wrote.
- “I am of America and for America, and proud to be so. Our country did not get here by being typical. And a big part of America’s success has been freedom in the economic realm and everywhere else. Freedom is ethical — it minimizes coercion — and practical — it drives creativity, invention, and prosperity,” he added.
- “I’m confident that free markets and personal liberties are right for America. I also believe these viewpoints are underserved in the current market of ideas and news opinion. I’m excited for us together to fill that void.”
Between the lines: Bezos said he offered Shipley the opportunity to lead the section under the new guidelines, but “after careful consideration, David decided to step away,” he wrote.
State of play: Bezos’ announcement quickly drew backlash from journalists online, including at The Post.
- “Massive encroachment by Jeff Bezos into The Washington Post’s opinion section today — makes clear dissenting views will not be published or tolerated there,” The Post’s chief economics reporter Jeff Stein posted on X. “I still have not felt encroachment on my journalism on the news side of coverage, but if Bezos tries interfering with the news side I will be quitting immediately and letting you know.”
Zoom out: The vast majority of America’s largest newspapers by circulation didn’t endorse a presidential candidate this year, marking a stark departure from previous election cycles and a turning point in the history of American opinion journalism.
- Opinion sections become a major source of contention within newsrooms during the first Trump administration, with journalists at major newspapers urging their bosses to reevaluate their policies.
What to watch: Efforts by the Trump administration to scrutinize media have forced media, entertainment and tech companies to make difficult decisions about how far they will go to defend their editorial values.
- Most notably, ABC in December settled a lawsuit filed against it by Donald Trump, even though some legal experts said ABC could’ve won the case.
- CBS News faces pressure to settle a $20 billion lawsuit with Trump, as its parent Paramount awaits regulatory approval to merge with Skydance Media.
This story is written by WWSG exclusive thought leader, Sara Fischer.
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