It doesn't appear there will be any changes to the Post's news division, which remains separate from its opinion division. Historically newspaper owners have often played a role in setting the agenda for a paper's opinion section, but Bezos taking this level of control is new, as far as I know.
I guess I'm comforted by the news division being spared this interference.
I don't think Bezos gets how much this sort of thing cheapens the opinion division and makes informed readers suspect and discount anything that might appear there.
The crazy part is not him taking this level of control, is him being so blatantly open about it. He's basically screaming "hey, you're gonna pay for my propaganda now" to the world.
Will, I very much appreciate your journalism and your posts here. I'm so sorry this is happening to your newspaper. Not great for the most important free market, that is the "free market of ideas."
Just to be extra clear, I'm not speaking for the Post or anyone else here, just sharing my understanding as a rank-and-file staff member on the news side.
That's a bit rough. In media these days, it's often a case taking the job you can get until a more palatable one comes up. It's not exactly an industry overflowing with great opportunities at the moment.
Understood. It’s a matter of the price point you put on integrity.
WaPo has been spiking and soft-pedaling stories for a year. Their news side knows this.
Of course, but the thing is, that's easy to say. I'm a motoring journo & until I went freelance, I had to write about combustion cars when I personally want them gone. Now I'm freelance, it's easier to reject those stories, but it took 5 years to get there — from decision to the $ security to do it.
Torr;
* "personal liberties" = Bezos personal liberty to squash anything that doesn't support an increase in/protection of his power/income (aka payment to 34-felon)
* "free markets" = Bezos freedom to increase the market share of all his power/income streams (aka payment to 34-felon)
I am a WaPo subscriber but won’t be as of Saturday. I was an Amazon customer but that ended the day Bezos killed the WaPo endorsement. Since then he paid a $40 million bribe to Trump through his illegal immigrant wife, now this. Laughing Trump is still screwing him in favor of Temu.
FWiW, if the WaPo tech reporters pull a 404 Media maneuver and split to form their own newsletter, I'd pay to subscribe. Signed, a paying 404 Media subscriber who canceled his WaPo subscription a few months back.
I'm not asking anyone to trust me that Jeff Bezos will keep news separate. I'm just sharing my admittedly limited understanding of the situation at this moment, which is based on the fact that news has so far been kept separate, and this announcement gives no indication that will change.
Yeah, while I appreciate wanting to be measured in your analysis, we're in the middle of a coup... An administration actively working to weaken / dismantle the Constitution. Bezos was front row at the inauguration with all the other Broligarchs who are provably meddling / censoring anti-maga speech.
What about the excellent, in-depth features, such as on the effects of climate change? And there was that brilliant article on home-schooling that might now seem too unfavourable to MAGAs
Thx for sharing. Because the WSJ doesn’t do those topics adequately? Sorry to read that WaPo intends to be second banana. Like w WSJ, I will continue to separate the journalists from the opinion writers, and read accordingly.
Jeffrey is such a staunch supporter of “personal liberties and “free markets” that he’s suppressing freedom of speech and the free press to prove his undying devotion.
I guess it WASN'T a mistake to cancel my longtime subscription after he squashed the Editorial Board's Presidential endorsement. Sad to see a journalistic mainstay like the Post go the way of legacy brands like Polaroid. Surviving in name only.
I cancelled Prime, and since I still had some time on my subscription, I was going to make one last order, but got the mental image of Bezos and his fiance at the inauguration and decided I didn't need that item after all. Try it. It worked for me.
Billionaire Jeff Bozo didn’t just sink Wapo, he just incentivized resisters everywhere to permanently boycott his other companies like Amazon. I’m so looking forward to canceling Prime when my membership comes for renewal in May.
In the meantime I will continue NOT buying a fucking thing on Amazon. That’s hard for me as I have no beef with Amazon workers but I will not buy from a Nahtzi lover.
WE made this man by buying his used books to sold from his garage, we can just as easily take him down we just may not be able to read the truth about how it happened....so.
Fuck off billionaires
I'm sure those personal liberties will include things like travelling for health care that one's own state has made illegal or wanting to be addressed in a respectful way. No? It's all about the freedom to copy and undercut business rivals? Cool, cool.
I was going to ask whether we were supposed to like Shipley or not, because I haven't been paying close attention, but I thought there was already a round of unpleasant shakeups in the opinion section recently. (but maybe that was a different editorial management layer I'm thinking of?)
I will be patting myself on the back -- continuously -- for the foreseeable future and you all will find new and creative ways to tell me how awesome I am. Or find a new job.
Very excited to see the upcoming Washington Post op-eds decrying monopolistic practices, calling for "too big" corporations to be broken up and supporting the individual liberties of trans people and other minorities. Oh.
Freedom, personal liberties, markets? What a complete and utter crock of shit. So, dear Jeff has never heard of the "market of ideas". Unbeliavable, but also revealing. Act accordingly.
Please tell me you’re walking out today with the rest of WaPo staff in protest to Bezos’ public embrace of fascist ideology and his public support of terrorizing and intimidating those who don’t submit.
Dude pressured the guy in charge of the newspaper into quitting instead of complying with this billionaire's ham fisted act to control the narrative for his own personal gain, manufacturing consent for the coming tech monarchy of which he plans to be a King.
Some want to think that Putin has control of the US political and economic elites.
It's worse than that. These people have all bought into the Putinesque, fascistic ideology of an elite entirely above and not subject to the same laws as the masses.
This sounds like a P.R. stunt to create the illusion that this billionaire is supportive of liberty. I don't think it's wise to trust anyone with that much money to inform the opinions of real Americans. The one-percenters aren't true citizens and are not subject to the same laws as the masses.
Oh Great a Newspaper from one Billionaire for on Billionaire.
Guess he can get his newspaper subscription for the next few million years, even if I cancel mine.
Freedom is ethical and drives creativity. That's why I gave the current editor an ultimatum to publish propaganda or resign in the space of a paragraph break
Imagine if Watergate had happened now. 😂. Sadly what is happening now makes Watergate a walk in the park. Another sad day for democracy, who am I kidding USA is now a facist regime
So, how about you start a GoFundMe and get all the real journalists and editors left to QUIT and tell that asshole to you know what? I will pitch in till you guys find new jobs.
“I am here to announce that we will now publish all opinions, as long as they agree with my opinions.” - Jeff Bezos, presumably on the tombstone of the Washington Post
I'll give Bezos this much credit. He's waaay funnier than Elon Musk:
"I'm confident that free markets and personal liberties are right for America. I also believe these viewpoints are underserved in the current market of ideas and news opinion."
“Personal Liberties and Free Markets”,
Means opinion must fill Bezos pockets.
Free press is gone. It’s totally toast.
Witness the death of The Washington Post.
Didn't renew my Amazon Prime when it came up this month. Barely a drop in the ocean of course, that rat makes all his money via AWS, but it's nice to cut myself off from Amazon officially.
Can’t wait to read op-eds from the Washington Post arguing for the merits of market socialism, since that philosophy is all about “free markets” and “personal liberties”.
Is Bezos offering an implicit critique of Musk dealing himself federal contracts as de facto head of state (while shutting out Bezos) & using power of govt to chill speech while he manipulates Twitter to suppress or spin it, or something worse
Correct me if I’m wrong, but the candidate he wouldn’t endorse on the opinion page was pro bodily autonomy and anti-tariff/bribery - so that can’t be it. Just say only people who support meeeeeee mwhahaha! It’s a hell of a lot more honest
Freedom in economic realm in the US is so strong that once a president comes to power stating he is against diversity every corporation runs to comply with b/c they fear being punished
for not doing so
Oli 2 Eng Translation:
All you little people, this is great for you because having the uberwealthy feed you your news and give you your opinions of the news is your best path because it's our best path.
I've enjoyed reading the @washingtonpost.com @postopinions.bsky.social for over a decade. I've just canceled my subscription to WaPo because of Jeff Bezos's chipping away at its content's direction. Democracy isn't simply dying in darkness, it's happening in broad daylight.
proving Marx and Chomsky right by showing explicitly that the capitalist class put their thumbs on the scale of public discourse to further their economic and political interests
I hope Mr Bezos, who is not a professional news editor, will reflect on why his experienced opinion page editor stepped away from the WP after the suggested change.
- Cancelled all Prime add-on channels such as HBO and Paramount+
- Downloaded all existing Kindle e-books and put Kindle in airplane mode
- Cancelled Amazon Music subscription effective end of current term.
- Cancelled Amazon Prime subscription effective end of current term.
Comments
God, I really really don't want to give up my Kindle Unlimited subscription but it's not looking good.
I don't think Bezos gets how much this sort of thing cheapens the opinion division and makes informed readers suspect and discount anything that might appear there.
buckle up
WaPo has been spiking and soft-pedaling stories for a year. Their news side knows this.
Why?
I’m a WaPo subscriber and I legit don’t understand this statement by Bezos at all.
* "personal liberties" = Bezos personal liberty to squash anything that doesn't support an increase in/protection of his power/income (aka payment to 34-felon)
* "free markets" = Bezos freedom to increase the market share of all his power/income streams (aka payment to 34-felon)
Billionaires typically don't like anything that challenges their views on wealth, taxation, capitalism, the economy, etc.
Bezos isn't about free speech.
Bezos is about this:
"Your speech is free if it agrees with me."
#FuckJeffBezos
https://www.pressreader.com/usa/the-guardian-usa/20250227/282260966206568
https://kipcurriermanagementleadership.blogspot.com/2025/02/jeff-bezos-is-muzzling-washington-posts.html
https://www.pressreader.com/australia/the-guardian-australia/20250228/282480009539223
Bezos can choke to death on the irrelevance he created.
(No disrespect to Bozo the Clown)
Interesting use of the word "freedom".
Jeez, the sacrifices I have to make for this country.
Ebay, ethicalsuperstore, small vendors are all great.
Also now barely ever use fb, insta; loving it!
Google not so much either.
Can't believe they all stood their supporting Trump like that.
Augh.
Oligarch’s paper to support oligarchy
Bezos doesn't care about subscriptions, democracy or ethics. He's got loads of $ but he also needs to keep up payments to the 34-felon president.
#BLOCKWAPO
Merely bitching about them is not going to send a message.
And anyone who hasn't unsubscribed to everything Bezos is doing it wrong.
Free speech as defined by 4chan - an alliance of fascists, school shooters, and pedophiles.
If Bezos is being honest, WaPo's OpEd pages will be a nearly non-stop challenge to Trump.
Fuck off billionaires
Just kidding; words have no meaning any more.
*unless the Musk-Trump Administration doesn't like you. Trans people for instance, need not apply.
“No government regulations” + “Freedom to discriminate & pillage.”
Even though he was willing to commit to, from 1993-2005, twelve years of marriage to Naomi Wolf.
Yes, that Naomi Wolf. (as in "if your Naomi is Wolf, oof. Ooooooffffff.")
I don't see that as likable, either.
But stepping down means that despite having less spine than a squid, there's steps he won't defend.
Or, per Natty below
https://bsky.app/profile/nattybowditch.bsky.social/post/3lj3pa3y6nc2c
Please, please tell that.
Gently, Will, you can’t work for a fascist and not be one.
What do you think you’ll want to say about this time in your life in 25 years? Was your reporting true by the time it was published?
It's worse than that. These people have all bought into the Putinesque, fascistic ideology of an elite entirely above and not subject to the same laws as the masses.
His newspaper has already been enabling this oligarchy since he bought it for that purpose.
https://bsky.app/profile/willoremus.com/post/3lj3mgj55a22y
Step by step we slide toward. #Germany1933.
#resist #AmericanFascism
*for some people
we should boycott the post ?
what is the point of your comment if there is no action linked to it; IMO you are just whining
The move from low-key American style oligarchy to full on Russian style oligarchy has been so fast and so infuriating.
Guess he can get his newspaper subscription for the next few million years, even if I cancel mine.
Anyone who does agrees with his agenda, pretty simple
"I'm confident that free markets and personal liberties are right for America. I also believe these viewpoints are underserved in the current market of ideas and news opinion."
Yeah, that’s what I thought.
“Personal Liberties and Free Markets”,
Means opinion must fill Bezos pockets.
Free press is gone. It’s totally toast.
Witness the death of The Washington Post.
/s
It's us versus the billionaires.
for not doing so
Oli 2 Eng Translation:
All you little people, this is great for you because having the uberwealthy feed you your news and give you your opinions of the news is your best path because it's our best path.
So, for you guys it's either "hell yes" or GTFO.
PERSONAL LIBERTIES: Tax evasion. Also, racism.
FREE MARKETS: Tax evasion. Also, more tax evasion.
I AM OF AMERICA: I don't like taxes.
I RESPECT HIS DECISION: I hope he dies.
UNDESERVED IN THE CURRENT MARKET OF IDEAS: You are all wrong. So are taxes. TAXES
- Cancelled all Prime add-on channels such as HBO and Paramount+
- Downloaded all existing Kindle e-books and put Kindle in airplane mode
- Cancelled Amazon Music subscription effective end of current term.
- Cancelled Amazon Prime subscription effective end of current term.
- Stopped visiting Washington Post website for news articles.
Other suggestions? Bezos is not getting another penny from me if I can help it.
Bezos Post, by oligarchs, for oligarchs.