More than 400 Washington Post journalists signed and sent a letter to owner Jeff Bezos on Wednesday saying they are “deeply concerned” with the paper’s leadership as its readership continues to erode and journalistic talent bleeds out.
The letter said poor recent decisions have “led readers to question the integrity” of the paper and led some big-name staffers to leave. Bezos was criticized by Washington Post journalists for his decision to cancel the editorial board’s plan to endorse Kamala Harris during last November’s election — a move Bezos later said was the “right decision.” But the letter said the issues run deeper than that.
“This goes far beyond the issue of the presidential endorsement, which we recognize as the owner’s prerogative,” the letter stated. “This is about retaining our competitive edge, restoring trust that has been lost and reestablishing a relationship with leadership based on open communication.”