David Shipley, the editorial page editor of the Washington Post, left the publication after owner Jeff Bezos announced a “significant shift” to the publisher’s opinion page on Wednesday. A media firm already rocked by years of turbulence and leadership churn was rocked by the revisions, which upset the status quo.
After declaring the move in a company-wide email, Jeff Bezos hinted in an X post on Wednesday morning that the Post will be publishing daily opinion pieces on two editorial “pillars” as part of the overhaul: free markets and individual liberty. Bezos stated that although “viewpoints opposing those pillars will be left to be published by others,” the Post’s opinion section will also cover other topics.
Bezos added, “I am certain that personal liberty and free markets are the best course of action for America.” Additionally, I think that the existing market for ideas and news opinions undervalues these points of view. I can’t wait for us to fill that gap together.
The billionaire media tycoon defended the modifications when he announced them, citing American ideals rooted in “freedom.” Jeff Bezos highlighted that this independence “is practical — it fosters innovation, creativity, and prosperity — and ethical — it minimizes coercion.”
Jeff Bezos explained the adjustment by pointing out that the internet has supplanted legacy opinion sections, which are now out of date.
“There was a time when a newspaper, particularly one that was a local monopoly, might have considered it a service to deliver a broad-based opinion section that aimed to cover all views to the reader’s doorstep every morning,” Bezos stated via X. “The internet does that job today.”
David Shipley departs from the Post
Bezos also announced the departure of David Shipley, the editor of the Post’s editorial page. Shipley chose to leave after being given the opportunity to spearhead Bezos’ proposed adjustments.
Bezos stated on X, “I gave David Shipley, whom I really respect, the chance to lead this new chapter.” “I told him that the response had to be “no” if it wasn’t “hell yes.” David gave it some thought and made the decision to distance himself. This is a big change, it won’t be simple, and it will need complete dedication — I appreciate his choice.
Bezos stated that in order to “own” the paper’s new editorial orientation, the Post would look for a new opinion editor.
Shipley stated that he decided to quit the publisher “after reflection on how I can best move forward in the profession I love” in an email to the Post’s editorial staff that CNN was able to get.
“I am eternally grateful for the chance to collaborate with a group of opinion journalists whose dedication to robust, creative reporting inspired me daily — and was validated by two Pulitzer Prizes and two Loeb Awards in two short years,” Shipley said in the email.
Shipley’s departure comes after spending four months navigating increasing criticism of the Post from subscribers and its own journalists. During that time, he defended the Post’s decision to not run a cartoon from Ann Telnaes that featured Jeff Bezos – and led to her resignation.
Some Post employees publicly criticized Bezos’ decision, which was instantly greeted with animosity.
Described as a “massive encroachment by Jeff Bezos,” the revamp makes it apparent that “dissenting views will not be published or tolerated there,” according to Jeff Stein, the publisher’s lead economics correspondent.
Stein stated on X, “I have yet to feel that my journalism on the news side of coverage has been infringed upon, but I will be leaving right away and informing you if Bezos attempts to meddle with the news side.”
The change was described as “an absolute abandonment of the principles of accountability of the powerful, justice, democracy, human rights, and accurate information that previously animated the section in favor of a white male billionaire’s self-interested agenda” by Amanda Katz, who left the Post’s opinion team at the end of 2024. Philip Bump, a journalist who writes for the Post’s monthly “How to Read This Chart” email, sarcastically remarked, “What the actual f**k” about Bluesky.
Conservatives, meantime, are applauding Bezos’ reforms. The founder of Turning Point USA, Charlie Kirk, praised the shift, saying that “the culture (…)changing rapidly for the better.” Additionally, Elon Musk, whose SpaceX directly competes with Bezos’ Blue Origins, gave X a brief “Bravo, @JeffBezos!” applause.
Lewis wrote to Post employees, “Doing this is a critical part of serving as a premier news publication across America and for all Americans.”
Lewis said he would make an interim arrangement for Shipley, who leaves the Post on Friday. He also stated that the successor of the editorial page editor will be revealed in “due course” and would be “someone who is wholehearted in their support for free markets and personal liberties.”
Murray stated, “The Post’s newsroom will continue to pursue compelling, impactful journalism without fear or favor, and our independent and unbiased work remains unchanged.”
Despite Murray and Lewis’ support for Bezos’ shift with employees, New York magazine claims that Lewis’ tone is very different behind the scenes after cautioning Bezos that the changes will probably have a detrimental effect on the magazine.
Lewis’ own prophecies seem to be coming true already. Two previous senior Post editors have publicly opposed the move since it was announced. The former executive editor of the Post, Marty Baron, stated that he was “sad and disgusted” by Bezos’ demands, as reported by the Daily Beast. He stated that the founder of Blue Origin and Amazon “has prioritized those commercial interests over The Post, and he is betraying The Post’s longstanding principles to do so.”
Former Post senior managing editor Cameron Barr, meanwhile, announced on LinkedIn that he will terminate his “professional association” with the publication, claiming that Bezos’s actions amount to “an unacceptable erosion of its commitment to publishing a healthy diversity of opinion and argument.” Additionally, Pulitzer Prize winner and veteran Post editor David Maraniss stated on Bluesky that he would “never write for (the Post) again as long as (Bezos is) the owner.”
The Post’s new course under Bezos
The contentious change was made months after Bezos abruptly stopped the opinion page from endorsing former Vice President Kamala Harris, breaking decades of tradition. Shipley told colleagues in October that “I failed” to persuade Bezos to allow the endorsement, joining the chorus of voices who tried to do so.
A series of events have plagued the Post since Bezos blocked the op-ed, including the resignation of many opinion staff members and the cancellation of 250,000 memberships by Post subscribers. Reporters have also left The Post, choosing to sign with other media instead of staying with the struggling publication.
The significant shift occurs months after Bezos acknowledged in his justification of the op-ed block that the Post has been “complexified” by his commercial holdings in Blue Origin and Amazon.
Silicon Valley media titans were spotted getting close to then-candidate Donald Trump in the lead-up to the November election, hedging their bets against a conservative win for president. Critics said that Bezos was attempting to alter the Post’s editorial approach in order to curry favor with Trump, who has become close to Elon Musk, whose company SpaceX directly competes with Bezos’ own. In a rare October op-ed, Bezos refuted such charges.
Bezos remarked, “I am not an ideal owner of The Post when it comes to the appearance of conflict.” “My wealth and business interests can be viewed as a shield against intimidation, or they can be viewed as a complex web of competing interests.”
In October, he remarked, “Only my own principles can tip the balance from one to the other.”
Bezos’ many assets, including his spacefaring business Blue Origin and Amazon, give the impression of conflict.The FTC and 17 states are still suing Bezos’ Amazon, alleging that the business has abused its economic power and harmed fair competition.
Bezos was there for the inauguration of President Trump in January. Even though Bezos was not the only tech billionaire in attendance, the perception of conflict was not greatly diminished by his presence as the owner of the Post.
The Post most recently decided not to run an anti-Musk wrap ad for its print edition. However, it did approve an internal anti-Musk ad, but it has not yet explained the reasons why the wrap was rejected and did not respond when asked if Bezos had any say in the matter.
Post employees have also been unhappy with Bezos for a while since he appointed Lewis as CEO and publisher. Lewis was accused of using dishonest and unethical means to obtain reporting for articles while working at the Sunday Times, among other difficulties, shortly after he assumed the senior position in early 2024. Lewis has faced criticism for reportedly trying to sabotage a story regarding his purported role in the cover-up of the phone hacking incident. Lewis has refuted the charges.
As a result of the revelations that questioned Lewis’ journalistic integrity and damaged the Post’s image and reporting, two Pulitzer Prize-winning Post writers demanded a leadership change in June, marking the height of discontent with Lewis.
Although the opinion section is the “provenance” of the Post’s owner, Bezos, as Murray points out, the billionaire’s most recent alteration caused the loss of hundreds of thousands of subscribers, which made the Post’s financial problems worse. The Post seems to be in a crisis as the makeover exacerbates long-standing problems at the legendary magazine and current and former employees loudly criticize the reforms.
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