Washington Post faces backlash as Bezos ends presidential endorsements to restore trust

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Bias

In an article published on the Post's website, Bezos, who also founded Amazon, contended that presidential endorsements foster a “perception of bias” and ultimately do not influence election outcomes. “No undecided voters in Pennsylvania are going to say, ‘I’m going with Newspaper A’s endorsement.’ None,” he asserted. Instead, he described the cessation of endorsements as a principled choice, emphasizing the need for the paper to maintain its perceived independence.

"What presidential endorsements actually do is create a perception of bias. A perception of non-independence. Ending them is a principled decision, and it’s the right one," said Bezos. "Eugene Meyer, publisher of The Washington Post from 1933 to 1946, thought the same, and he was right. By itself, declining to endorse presidential candidates is not enough to move us very far up the trust scale, but it’s a meaningful step in the right direction."

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According to reports, the decision, announced just days before the upcoming election, has sparked concern among staff and readers alike. The Washington Post Guild, which represents the paper’s employees, expressed its dismay, stating that the decision “undercuts the work of our members” at a time when trust and readership should be prioritised. Reports indicate that the Post has lost up to 200,000 digital subscribers and has seen resignations from several editorial staff members, including board members.

Deliberate strategy?

Notably, internal discussions at the Post had reportedly been leaning toward endorsing Vice-President Kamala Harris, a move that never materialised. While the newspaper declined to comment on the matter, sources indicated that editorial staff were prepared to support her candidacy.

Bezos denied that the timing of the decision was a deliberate strategy or related to any quid pro quo with either Harris or her Republican opponent, Donald Trump. Instead, he attributed the decision to “inadequate planning” and expressed regret that it had not been made earlier. “I wish we had made the change further from the election and the emotions around it,” he wrote.