Column: Jeff Bezos threw the Washington Post under the MAGA bus. His decision to revamp its opinion section threatens not just independent journalism, but the Post's business future, writes our senior editor Michael Schaffer.
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Columnist Michael Schaffer writes: "It’s a matter of dollars and cents. If readers don’t trust a publication’s name, no amount of Pulitzer-worthy scoops will fix it. For Bezos, a guy who believes that the Post needs to gain a broad-based audience, it’s a baffling blind spot."
If he doesn't really care about making money from the Post, it makes perfect business sense. He's not making any money from it now, so why not just use it to curry favor with Trump for his other very profitable businesses. I've already canceled my WAPO subscription, now moving on from Amazon. See ya
Bezos is the thief in all our pockets, who also wants to lecture us on how to spend our money. Fuck him. Cut off all his government subsidies. Why are we subsidizing billionaire assholes like Bezos and Musk anyway? There’s the government waste. Cut it the fuck off. https://bsky.app/profile/profgalloway.com/post/3lihjrg3o622l
The very reason I terminated my Amazon accounts to a stunned 1 800 receptionist. The reason I gave was that her boss Jeff Bezos had aligned himself with a racist criminal president.
Sure, a few insightful if obvious points. But, good lord, this article actually thinks Bezos cares about the business side of the WaPo and turning it around. It's pointless inside baseball nonsense. Bezos has only one reader who matters. The rest is bad theatre.
It's not complicated.
speaking of putz's...and I was going to say I prefer you over Musk, to get NASA gov contract to, among other things, bring Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams from the International Space Station, instead of Musk.
Wow, a once respected, dare I say, revered publication is now circling the drain. Bezos and the Post are following Musk and Xitter right down the shitter. Like with Trump, everything oligarchs touch dies. Bezos, go to hell and take your plastic sex doll with you!
Just because you’re ’in business’ it doesn’t place you above the law nor should it grant you the authority to make the laws. What is it with these self entitled doyles like Bezos and Musk? See what bullying at school produces? Bullies in life!
I've been receiving e-mails from the post on a daily basis. I figured it was useful so I could keep up-to-date on some of the headlines. I canceled my subscription when WaPo decided not to endorse a presidential candidate. I'll be unsubscribing to the e-mail soon enough.
May I suggest the @latimes.com rather than WashPost. I grew up on the WashPost, did all my current events assignments for AP Government with the WashPost. Read Dave Barry's column every Sunday. It's sad to see this paper taken over by the douche bag Jeff Bezos.
My wife and I have been looking for an alternative to Amazon, Prime and Kindle. It's easier to talk about than do that. However, before and his fake girlfriend are giving us motivation
I hope the blackout day works.
We can start by ditching fire sticks and adding roku.
Billionaire's should have stuck to slapping their name on buildings, building their bank accounts by not paying taxes.
These Uppty Loud Talking Billionaire's have it too good in the United States.
I am ending friendships over not using / supporting Amazon. Their excuse? It's too easy. I don't live near stores. My mom needs something every day. Oh FFS. This is a serious situation.
What will you do when all your social nets have massive holes?
I cancelled WaPo when Bezos refused to endorse Harris. I also cancelled my Amazon Prime, but am finding it pretty inconvenient (I live in a rural area about 45 min away from anything bigger than a small supermarket & a CVS.) Plus now that Target & Home Depot have bowed the knee, it’s a conundrum.
This is what happens when billionaires buy newspapers. It certainly isn’t to preserve free speech and definitely isn’t to make money so what is left. They want to slant the news to echo right wing propaganda.
All the mainstream media has done deals with Trump. This is one of the outcomes. CNN pushing Acosta out and MSNBC canceling Reid are also outcomes from dealing with Trump. If people haven’t noticed, there are numerous changes to how the media interacts & covers Trump. All driven by Trump.
Anyone who believes his censorship will be limited to the opinions section has not been paying attention. Regardless of the merits of the journalists there, they don't have editorial control, and with this announcement the paper cannot be trusted.
#NoKings
#NoOligarchy
List is growing
John Deere
Harley Davidson
Jack Daniel’s
Ford Motor
Lowe’s
Molson Coors
Boeing
Walmart
McDonald’s
Meta
Amazon
Target
The Smithsonian Institution
Google
Amtrak
Accenture
Pepsi
GM
Disney
GE
Intel
PayPal
Chipotle
Comcast
PBS
Deloitte
Goldman Sachs
Coca Cola
Citigroup
JP Morgan Chase
When we imbue corporations with a vestige of personhood, we invite a vampire into our home. Let companies die. Let investors lose money. Drive a wooden stake.
Bigger Picture: They don't care about medium term projections (ie. two years), they are going to upend everything before then so it won't matter. Stop getting distracted.
Last straw for my WaPo subscription. Bezos is greedy & spineless. Free economic markets are not what keeps a society ethical. Most unregulated billionaires just want more for themselves in an immoral race to the bottom. Slavery thrived in an unregulated economy as well. TY Politico for your work.
Jeff Bezos sent dick pics to his mistress while still married to his wife;treats his employees like indentured servants, sabotaging their efforts to form unions, yanking up stakes when they prevail over his misinformation & threats; sucking Trump’s dick: a slimy cheat, craven coward & greedy bastard
Jeff just flushed the Post down one of him multiplicity of toilets. Rich and runny scared from the current president and his sleazy sidekick...all for another few billion bucks that he can't spend fast enough.
How greedy must Bezos be having such incredible wealth and deciding more wealth outweighs journalistic integrity, and our country’s democratic values? Supporting Trump financially shows allegiance to oppression of human rights.
We’ve reached the point where the oligarchs have to decide which side they are on. The “unwashed masses” or the privileged few. Bezos, Zuckerberg, have decided to surrender social responsibility for personal power.
Now, hang on, this could be very revealing. Let's watch and see what we can learn about Billionaire World. If he wants to put his opinion out there... this could be fun.
He should stay in his lane he is a business man not a a statesman no a patriot not a small d democrat. He is a business man who will undermine democracy for an extra billion
We made these billionaires by throwing money at them. We can unmake them by living like it's the 1980s. Stop with the impulse buys from Amazon, and cancel Amazon Prime. Let's get back to our roots and shop local. #BoycottAmazon #NoSpend2025
Just do it in baby steps, that is what my family did. We were used to just buying whatever we wanted all the time. The Amazon truck was at our house EVERY DAY. This has stopped.
We have 1 streaming service, not all of them, and an HD antenna for local news. Our savings account looks much better.
We have been inundated with tons of superfluous stuff. I’m about to cancel Netflix. I already cancelled Disney+. I was watching 1 show every 3 weeks and the rest was garbage. We are very addicted to consuming and this social media age has been a great tool for corporations. We have to be stronger.
Washington Post has always been a main stream
media of the Establishment that has promoted and spread its agenda. It had never anything to do with independent journalism (although it may have inadvertently employed such journalists.) Don't touch any of that and stop voting in system's elections!
I was an early adopter
of Amazon in the mid to late 90’s. I bought books and toys (kidsrus), I have supported him since, no longer. Maybe the guy that owns the Onion can buy the Post?
The lengths these guys have gone just to suck Trump and Elon’s dicks is unbelievable. And having no self awareness about how really pathetic they look to everyone else.
Bezos’ solution to books on a concrete floor was to get knee pads. Not a table. Knee pads. So maybe it’s time we all accept he’s never been the best guy.
WashPost used to be a great paper covering national politics. Not since the Bezos takeover and meddling in a free press. Some of the folks claiming to super patriotic seem to have no problem with Musk, Donnie, Bezos, and Congressional Republicans ignoring and trampling on our Constitution.
Comments
https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/01/06/axel-springer-politico-media-scandal-germany-bild/
https://bsky.app/profile/profgalloway.com/post/3lihjrg3o622l
Duh
Financially it's a rounding error for him.
He owns it to control the message.
It's not complicated.
It must be awful if they are highlighting it.
https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/01/06/axel-springer-politico-media-scandal-germany-bild/
🤪
But realistically this is not Reason Magazine in newspaper form, but an excuse to provide cover for Trump so his other businesses don't suffer.
This dude: https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/01/06/axel-springer-politico-media-scandal-germany-bild/
227.4 billion USD (2025)
Get married.
Go on your honeymoon.
Relax.
Let the Washington Post do what it does best.
#BoycottAmazon
I hope the blackout day works.
We can start by ditching fire sticks and adding roku.
I am so sick of rich dicks
And thats the new definition of a free press😂
These Uppty Loud Talking Billionaire's have it too good in the United States.
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/politico-owner-pray-for-trump-mathias-dopfner-axel-springer-1234587243/
Eff Bozos and his fascism
Thats a fallacy.
Parasitic billionaires are murdering it in broad daylight.
What will you do when all your social nets have massive holes?
The Washington Post
#NoKings
#NoOligarchy
John Deere
Harley Davidson
Jack Daniel’s
Ford Motor
Lowe’s
Molson Coors
Boeing
Walmart
McDonald’s
Meta
Amazon
Target
The Smithsonian Institution
Google
Amtrak
Accenture
Pepsi
GM
Disney
GE
Intel
PayPal
Chipotle
Comcast
PBS
Deloitte
Goldman Sachs
Coca Cola
Citigroup
JP Morgan Chase
These billionaire bastards would kill us all if they thought they would in any way benefit personally.
Silly psychopaths .
but hey does Bezos care ?
It was a cheap 500 mil$ investment for him.
We made these billionaires by throwing money at them. We can unmake them by living like it's the 1980s. Stop with the impulse buys from Amazon, and cancel Amazon Prime. Let's get back to our roots and shop local. #BoycottAmazon #NoSpend2025
We have 1 streaming service, not all of them, and an HD antenna for local news. Our savings account looks much better.
media of the Establishment that has promoted and spread its agenda. It had never anything to do with independent journalism (although it may have inadvertently employed such journalists.) Don't touch any of that and stop voting in system's elections!
Despicable, but not a surprise.
There are a lot of followers, not leaders, right now.
of Amazon in the mid to late 90’s. I bought books and toys (kidsrus), I have supported him since, no longer. Maybe the guy that owns the Onion can buy the Post?
is that a maga-nazi salute?
someone with balls needs to buy the bozoington post and change it back to the Washington post