Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos says in op-ed: ‘Americans don’t trust the news media’

Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos says in op-ed: ‘Americans don’t trust the news media’


Amazon founder Jeff Bezos arrives for his meeting with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson at the UK diplomatic residence in New York City, Sept. 20, 2021.

Michael M. Santiago | Getty Images News | Getty Images

Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos in an op-ed published Monday evening defended the newspaper’s recent controversial decision not to endorse a candidate in the presidential election as a “meaningful step in the right direction” to reverse the loss of trust in the media by Americans.

But Bezos also wrote, “I wish we had made the change earlier than we did, in a moment further from the election and the emotions around it.”

The op-ed — with the headline “The hard truth: Americans don’t trust the news media — was published hours after NPR reported that The Washington Post had lost more than 200,000 digital subscribers since Friday’s announcement by CEO Will Lewis that the newspaper would no longer endorse presidential candidates.

Three members of the paper’s editorial board have resigned from that panel, while retaining their staff roles at the Post, because of that decision.

Bezos, who founded Amazon, in the op-ed wrote, “I would also like to be clear that no quid pro quo of any kind is at work here” in deciding not to endorse a candidate.

Bezos said that the presidential campaigns of Kamala Harris and Donald Trump were not consulted or told about the newspaper’s decision

“It was made entirely internally,” said Bezos.

But Bezos noted that Dave Limp, the CEO of his space exploration company Blue Origin, met with Trump on the same day Lewis announced the paper’s decision.

“I sighed when I found out, because I knew it would provide ammunition to those who would like to frame this as anything other than a principled decision,” Bezos wrote.

“But the fact is, I didn’t know about the meeting beforehand. Even Limp didn’t know about it in advance; the meeting was scheduled quickly that morning,” Bezos wrote. “There is no connection between it and our decision on presidential endorsements, and any suggestion otherwise is false.

This is breaking news. Please refresh for updates.



Source

U.S. sending about 200 troops to Israel to help support and monitor ceasefire deal in Gaza
Politics

U.S. sending about 200 troops to Israel to help support and monitor ceasefire deal in Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (2nd R) meets with US President Donald Trump’s Special Representative for the Middle East Steve Witkoff (2nd L) and Trump’s son-in-law and former advisor Jared Kushner (L) in West Jerusalem on Oct. 9, 2025. Ma’ayan Toaf | GPO | Anadolu | Getty Images The United States is sending about 200 […]

Read More
Grand jury asked to indict Trump foe Letitia James, MSNBC reports
Politics

Grand jury asked to indict Trump foe Letitia James, MSNBC reports

NY Attorney General Letitia James speaks during a press conference on the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) at Manhattan Federal Courthouse on Feb. 14, 2025 in New York City. Michael M. Santiago | Getty Images A top federal prosecutor appointed by President Donald Trump presented evidence on Thursday to a grand jury in Virginia in […]

Read More
Israel and Hamas will exchange hostages and prisoners after agreeing to a pause in the war in Gaza
Politics

Israel and Hamas will exchange hostages and prisoners after agreeing to a pause in the war in Gaza

Palestinians, including children, gathered in the city of Khan Yunis celebrate after the announcement of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza on Oct. 9, 2025 in Khan Yunis, Gaza. Abdallah F.s. Alattar | Anadolu | Getty Images Israel and Hamas have agreed to a pause in their devastating two-year war and the release of the remaining […]

Read More