In a significant departure from tradition, The Washington Post has announced that it will refrain from supporting any candidate in the upcoming presidential election. This decision marks a departure from decades of practice and sparked immediate controversy.
An article published Friday detailed that the editorial team had initially prepared to support Democratic candidate Kamala Harris over Republican candidate Donald Trump. However, the decision to deny approval was reportedly made by Jeff Bezos, owner of the newspaper and founder of Amazon.
Throughout his presidency, Trump has been openly critical of both Bezos and the Post. Notably, Amazon claimed in a 2019 lawsuit that it lost a $10 billion Pentagon contract with Microsoft due to Trump's alleged interference against Bezos.
Historically, the Post has consistently endorsed candidates since 1976, with the exception of the 1988 election, generally favoring Democrats.
Will Lewis, postmaster general of the Washington Post, explained online that the publication will refrain from endorsing candidates in future presidential elections as well. He emphasized a return to the document's core principles, focusing on integrity and fairness rather than political approval.
The decision closely follows a similar move by the Los Angeles Times, where the leader of the editorial board resigned after the owner's decision to forego presidential approval.
Marty Baron, former editor of The Post, criticized the decision on social media, describing it as a failure to uphold democratic values. He suggested that this move could encourage Trump to put further pressure on Bezos and others in the media industry.
The Washington Post Guild, which represents the newspaper's staff, expressed concern that management's decision could undermine the autonomy of the newsroom and potentially erode reader trust, especially as the election approaches.
The announcement has already led to cancellations of subscriptions by some longtime readers, reflecting the controversial nature of the decision during a crucial election period.