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- The Washington Post has decided against endorsing any presidential candidate for the 2024 election.
- Marty Baron, former executive editor, described this choice as “a moment of darkness,” according to NPR.
- Insiders revealed that Jeff Bezos, the owner of the paper, was behind this decision.
On Friday, The Washington Post announced its decision not to endorse any candidates in the upcoming 2024 presidential election or in future elections.
A report from Status earlier this week indicated that no endorsement had been made yet by the paper owned by Jeff Bezos, raising internal concerns.
In a communication to readers on Friday, William Lewis, publisher and CEO of The Post, stated that they are “returning to our roots by refraining from endorsing presidential candidates.”
Lewis acknowledged that throughout its history, The Post has both supported and abstained from endorsements. He also recognized that their latest stance might provoke criticism.
“We understand this will be interpreted in various ways—some may see it as an implicit endorsement of one candidate over another or as a failure to take responsibility,” Lewis explained. “However, we ultimately want our readers to form their own opinions based on our non-partisan news coverage and insights provided by our opinion team.”
Later on Friday, The Washington Post reported—citing two sources familiar with the matter—that Jeff Bezos made the final call not to publish an endorsement for Vice President Kamala Harris despite editorial staff having already prepared one.
NPR highlighted discontent among newsroom members regarding this decision. Marty Baron remarked it was “a moment of darkness that could harm democracy.” He added that Donald Trump might view this situation as an opportunity to further pressure media owners like Jeff Bezos.
NPR also pointed out that Bezos is involved in significant government contracts; for instance, NASA recently awarded $172 million for a collaborative project between his Blue Origin space company and Sierra Space aimed at developing a new space station. Additionally, Amazon has received substantial government funding related to cloud computing services and commercial products.
The Broader Context: Media Endorsements This Election Cycle
The Washington Post is not alone in grappling with endorsement decisions during this election cycle. According to reports from Semafor, Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong halted any presidential endorsements at the Los Angeles Times leading to editorial editor Mariel Garza’s resignation over disagreements regarding editorial direction.
The Washington Post did not provide immediate comments when approached by Business Insider for further clarification on these developments.
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