Washington Post Staffers Beg New Trump Bestie Jeff Bezos to Save Paper
Washington Post staffers delivered an impassioned missive to their paper’s owner Jeff Bezos on Wednesday, urging the billionaire to “stand with us” and articulate “a clear vision” for the Post’s future.
The letter, signed by more than 400 reporters and editors, urged Bezos to come to the Post‘s D.C. office and meet with newsroom leaders. The letter was first reported by NPR and The New York Times.
The plea came as both staffers and readers have fled the Post over, among other issues, Bezos' decision to end the paper’s tradition of presidential endorsements, publisher Will Lewis' refusal to engage with staff, losses of more than $100 million in 2024, and Bezos' repeated engagement with longtime Post critic President-elect Donald Trump.
Lewis, who faces allegations this month in a U.K. trial over the cover-up of a phone-hacking scandal, has not held a town hall with staffers since last summer, and has not sent out any newsroom-wide announcements in months.
The Daily Beast’s Eleanor Clift reported Wednesday that security was called to remove dozens of messages plastered over his office demanding he acknowledge staffers' concerns. ““We’re doing our jobs – Why isn’t Will doing his?” the notes read.
“This goes far beyond the issue of the presidential endorsement, which we recognize as the owner’s prerogative,” the staffers wrote to Bezos. “This is about retaining our competitive edge, restoring trust that has been lost, and reestablishing a relationship with leadership based on open communication.”
The Post did not respond to a request for comment.
Bezos last met with Post staffers in the newsroom during a visit in January 2023, one that came after then-publisher Fred Ryan announced a punishing round of layoffs . At that time, Bezos launched into a listening tour. Now, staffers wrote, they want him to speak.
“We urge you to come to our office and meet with Post leaders, as you have in the past,” the letter continued. “We understand the need for change, and we are eager to deliver the news in innovate ways. But we need a clear vision we can believe in.”
In recent months, the ‘vision’ apparent has only alienated its staff. The paper laid off nearly 100 people on its business side last week, wiping out dozens across its public relations and advertising teams. Executive editor Matt Murray told staffers earlier this week there would be “more changes ahead” this year.
Opinion editor David Shipley earlier this month also killed a cartoon by the Pulitzer Prize-winning artist Ann Telnaes that showed Bezos and other tech billionaires genuflecting to Donald Trump. (Shipley later said in a memo to staff that he did not consult with Lewis or Bezos ahead of his decision, which he maintained was to avoid repetition.)
Bezos has remained largely silent with Post staffers outside of an October op-ed explaining his refusal to issue presidential endorsements. Instead, he promised publicly last month he would save the Post for “the second time.”
A Bezos spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.
