More Than 400 Washington Post Staffers Urge Jeff Bezos to Intervene
Over 400 Washington Post employees, including some of the publication’s most well-known correspondents, have sent an unusual letter to owner Jeff Bezos expressing concern over the direction of the newspaper and asking him to intervene.
The letter, obtained by CNN, accuses leadership of making decisions that have damaged the institution’s integrity and reputation, leading to a loss of trust among staff and readers. The employees, who are requesting a meeting with Bezos and the Post’s leaders, express alarm over the recent exodus of talent from the publication.
The letter does not mention Post publisher and CEO William Lewis by name, but suggests that staff have lost faith in the newspaper’s leadership. Over the past year, Lewis has made significant changes to the publication and has been accused of harboring hostility toward the newsroom.
The signees of the letter include the Post’s chief correspondent, Dan Balz, and other high-profile journalists. The letter acknowledges that Bezos’ decision to block the publication’s planned endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris was his “prerogative,” but expresses concern that the decision led to a loss of trust and damaged the newspaper’s reputation.
The employees are calling on Bezos to establish a clear vision for the Post and to work with the staff to restore trust and rebuild the publication’s competitive edge. In response to the letter, Bezos has so far declined to comment.