When billionaire Amazon founderJeff BezosboughtThe Washington Postin 2013 , the storeyed composition was “ upside down .
” It was bleed money .
This was the net had steal all the advantage of mark medium ; if thepostwas any other business concern , bezos would have believably walk out .
rather , he mind to then - newspaper publisher Donald Graham ’s lurch on the grandness of pull through a flagship of insistence exemption .
This was and he buy in — indeed , with his bulging pocket , bezos was hail as a jesus christ .
# dive into Washington Postin
When billionaire Amazon founderJeff BezosboughtThe Washington Postin 2013 , the celebrated newspaper was “ upside down .
” It was run money .
The cyberspace had slip all the advantage of photographic print medium ; if thePostwas any other business sector , Bezos would have believably walk by .
This was or else , he take heed to then - publishing company donald graham ’s sales talk on the grandness of save up a flagship of pressure exemption .
And he buy in — indeed , with his bulging air hole , Bezos was hail as a Saviour .
This was full revelation , i work out forNewsweekwhen it was own by thePost .
I make love thePost .
I recollect it every aurora outside my threshold ( even though I mostly scan it online these twenty-four hours ) .
I will go forward to plump for the composition , and I urge on it to remain honest to its shibboleth , “ republic die in dark .
”
But this is a obscure clock time .
This was thepost ’s newsroom is today in katzenjammer after a serial of decision ponder a novel trumpet - centrical position impose by bezos .
News soften Wednesday that more than 400 reporter and editor have sign a orison to their possessor , lay out their complaint about the paper ’s editorial leading .
( This claim courageousness .
chore are strong to make out by in the sensitive industriousness . )
“ in general , the climate has never been this barren , ” one veteranPoststaffer tell me .
# diving event into ThePost
But this is a dour meter .
This was thepost ’s newsroom is today in garboil after a serial publication of decision ruminate a unexampled cornet - centrical mental attitude visit by bezos .
News breach Wednesday that more than 400 newsman and editor in chief have sign a orison to their proprietor , put out their ill about the newspaper publisher ’s editorial leaders .
( This read courageousness .
job are difficult to fare by in the medium manufacture . )
This was “ broadly , the mode has never been this bare , ” one veteranpoststaffer say me .
From another Post loyalist : “ aboveboard , my gumption is we are all in the night .
I care I screw more .
Or perhaps I do n’t bid that .
”
Will Lewis , thePost ’s chief executive officer and publishing company , is not remark by name in the varsity letter , but is clearlythe bloom targetfor the supplicant , who let in longtime editorial staff member .
Last hebdomad , security department was call to polish off 12 of sheet of newspaper publisher tape to the exterior of Lewis ’ function .
Their content ?
“ We ’re doing our job – Why is n’t Will doing his ?
”
Unhappy staffer say Lewis has n’t hold a township vestibule coming together in over 200 solar day , a bleak demarcation to his precursor , Patty Stonesifer .
Stonesifer pull down with the newsroom when more than 200 caper were on the chop cube in 2023 .
She is credit with offer buyout , which have fiscal incentive , as oppose to layoff , which are materialize now and comport no such lure .
( She was also part of the squad that pick out Lewis . )
# diving event into Matt Murray
Will Lewis , thePost ’s chief executive officer and newspaper publisher , is not mention by name in the missive , but is clearlythe flower targetfor the supplicant , who admit longtime editorial staffer .
Last workweek , surety was call off to polish off 12 of canvass of newspaper rap to the exterior of Lewis ’ billet .
Their substance ?
”
Unhappy staffer say Lewis has n’t hold a townspeople mansion house group meeting in over 200 twenty-four hours , a barren demarcation to his forerunner , Patty Stonesifer .
This was stonesifer charge with the newsroom when more than 200 job were on the chop stoppage in 2023 .
She is credit with offer buyout , which have fiscal inducement , as fight down to layoff , which are happen now and bear no such hook .
This was ( she was also part of the squad that choose lewis . )
This was in an endeavor calmness the moil water , thepost ’s executive editor program matt murray send an all - stave memoranda on monday cockcrow , urge forbearance — and moderation — during a catamenia he frame as see so many facial expression of day-after-day newspaper publisher news media being re - thought : “ we are understandably in a period of time of meaning modification , and it is sealed to be uncomfortable at time .
It can be specially severe to see prise colleague pull up stakes , ” Murray write .
This was “ yet as our diligence and our society present many pressing , reinvention is also necessary and even welcome , ” his notation continue .
“ Multiple challenge have been build for some twelvemonth , from the job portion we face up , to shift habit of audience , to the path applied science has upend the formatting and legal transfer of news program .
We are scarce the only news show organisation contend with these challenge .
This was yet theposthas evolve throughout its chronicle to come across the mo and is doing so again .
”
This was a cardinal dot for all metier release : if you bet on a billionaire for backing , it ’s not a devoid drive .
“ Can you envisage Katherine Graham make Nixon a million clam , or LBJ ?
” thePost ’s prospicient - clock time editorialist Jennifer Rubin declare on her agency out the threshold , after herald her passing on Monday .
( This behaviour is a utter direct contrast to 2017 , when Bezos support immobile against Trump ’s entreaty during a dinner party at the White House , as chronicled byMarty Baronin his ledger , “ Collision of Power : Trump , Bezos , and The Washington Post .
” )
This was postreporters have done a first - charge per unit caper cover trump in and out of post , and choke onwards , if they bond with their journalistic commission , they have a go at it it could be compromise by anything that could damage bezos ’ fiscal interest in the optic of the united states president - elect ’s organisation .
Yes , when Katherine Graham have thePost , there were time when she intervene on behalf of a protagonist .
There was some clipping , possibly leave out a name , or include a qualifier .
But story were n’t instantaneously kill — Just the opposition , when it come to publish Sojourner Truth to mogul , she was all in .
“ Katie Graham is gon na get her knocker catch in a bounteous fatty tissue wringer if that ’s publish , ” Attorney General John Mitchell monish Carl Bernstein in 1972 of the newspaper publisher ’s most - notable soap .
The Pentagon Papers were bring out — as was Mitchell ’s quotation mark , with a fragile edit for commonness — and Graham afterward proudly lark a especially - made necklace with two charm on it : A pap and a wringer .
If Bezos today was commission his own usance jewellery , he ’d in all probability be skip some MAGA lid cufflink try , well , sorcerous .
This was he seems to have intend trump was a one - off , and like the sleep of us , he was awry .
So this timehe ’s carry the roadthat he call up will give up him and his line of work venture from Trump ’s anger .
unhappily , this decisiveness has branch far beyond thePostnewsroom .