Jeff Bezos orders new Washington Post opinion policy, top editor resigns | Real Time Headlines

Jeff Bezosthis Amazon The Washington Post founder and owner said Wednesday that his newspaper’s comment page is now committed to supporting “individual free and free markets” and that the organization will not issue objections.

“Of course, we certainly introduce other topics,” Bezos said in an email.

David Shipley, editorial editor who has been in the job for more than two years, decided to resign instead of the new policy leadership opinion section, Bezos said.

“I advised him that if the answer is not ‘hell yes’, then yes’ no,” Bezos said of Shipley. I respect his decision.

Bezos said the post will be “looking for a new opinion editor to have this new direction”.

He asserted that while a major newspaper may have once thought it was a service that could provide readers with a “broad-based opinion-based section that attempts to cover all opinions,” this is not the case.

“Today, the Internet has done this job,” Bezos wrote.

“I am confident that free markets and personal freedom are suitable for the United States,” he added. “I also believe that these views are boring in the current market for ideas and news perspectives. I am excited that we are filling this gap together. ”

Representatives from Bezos and The Post and Shipley did not immediately return CNBC’s other requests for comment.

By building new parameters around comments that posts can print, Bezos may make new charges, and he is seeking courtship with the president Donald TrumpHe has long attacked the paper as “fake news.”

Less than two weeks before the 2024 presidential election between Republican Trump and Democratic candidates Kamala Harristhe post announced that it will Not recognized Any candidate breaks down with decades of newer precedents.

This post News Articles The newspaper’s editors planned to recognize Harris and Bezos himself decided to end the tradition.

Four days later, the newspaper reported At least 250,000 After the policy shift, readers among its readers canceled their subscription.

After Trump won the election, Bezos’ Amazon, along with many other tech giants, donated huge sums to the then-elected president Inauguration Fund. Bezos resigned as CEO in 2021, but he remains the executive chairman.

Bezos was also discovered Dining with Trump In his Mar-a-Lago residence and club in Florida. Tech giants later participated in Trump’s Inauguration ceremony On January 20, stand Yuan boss Mark ZuckerbergCEO of Apple Tim CookGoogle’s head Sundar Pichai and Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.

Musk, who led Trump’s administration’s cuts task force, called Doge, praised Bezos for implementing editorial changes.

Several employees recently quit the position in protest. cartoonist Ann Telnaes Leaving the newspaper early in January after accusing her boss of killing her businessman (including one similar to Bezos). When she resigned in the same month, Columnist Jennifer Rubin Bezos and other rich media tycoons have prompted Trump to betray the audience’s loyalty.

When responding to Bezos’ announcement Wednesday morning, some people had Famous Amazon is currently involved Antitrust litigation Bringed by the Federal Trade Commission.

Adam Penenberg, a journalism professor at New York University, told CNBC that it is not unprecedented for newspaper owners to participate in editorial decisions. After Rupert Murdoch took over in 1976, he pointed to the conservative shift in The New York Post, Sheldon Adelson worked to make Las Vegas Review Magazine More pro-business.

But Penenberg noted that Bezos ordered his paper editing page to adhere to specific ideological views, making him unique.

The announcement prompted journalists to make a series of preliminary responses in the Post – some of which will not be affected.

“As I said before: Nothing has changed,” Dan Lamothe, who introduced military affairs, introduced military affairs later Wednesday morning. “We ask tough questions and hold those in power accountable.

However, Chief Economic Journalist Jeff Stein called Bezos’ decision a “massive encroachment” and believed that “clear views will not be published or tolerated.”

“I still don’t feel aggression in journalism in terms of the news I’m reporting, but if Bezos tries to interfere with the news, I’ll quit immediately and let you know.” Written on X.

Philip Bump, current opinion columnist Bruceky: “The actual F —.”