The Washington Post has announced that it will not endorse any presidential candidate, sparking fury among its liberal readers who have vowed to cancel their subscriptions to the newspaper.
The announcement marks the first time in 36 years that the left-wing newspaper has decided not to give a presidential endorsement.
The paper’s page editor, David Shipley, had already approved Harris’ endorsement and had reportedly told colleagues that it was being reviewed by the paper’s owner, Jeff Bezos, according to NPR.
But on Friday, CEO Will Lewis published an op-ed saying the paper is returning to its “roots of not endorsing presidential candidates.”
It comes just days after the Los Angeles Times announced it would also not endorse anyone in November’s presidential election.
The Washington Post has announced that it will not endorse any presidential candidate, sparking fury among its liberal readers who have vowed to cancel their subscriptions to the newspaper.
The newspaper’s page editor, David Shipley, had already approved Harris’ endorsement.
The newspaper’s staff learned of the decision from the page’s editor, Shipley, in a “tense” meeting on Friday, according to NPR.
Shipley told staff he owned the decision and that it was intended to create an “independent space” where the newspaper doesn’t tell people how to vote.
However, The positionThe company itself has reported that it was Bezos who made the decision not to endorse any presidential candidate.
Columnist Robert Kagan, a conservative Trump critic, resigned from his editorial board position after the decision became known.
The Post staff’s response has been “uniformly outraged,” according to NPR’s David Folkenflik.
Many liberals have pledged to cancel their subscriptions to the newspaper on Friday.
Former Post executive editor Martin Baron said, “This is cowardice, a moment of darkness that will leave democracy a victim,” Baron said in a statement to NPR. “Donald Trump will celebrate this as an invitation to further intimidate Post owner Jeff Bezos (and other media owners).
“History will mark a disturbing chapter of cowardice in an institution famous for its bravery.”
The Post’s chief political correspondent, Ashley Parker, simply said, “Well, it’s certainly a new kind of October surprise.”
The position began endorsing presidential candidates in 1976 after the Watergate scandal broke and publicly endorsed Democrat Jimmy Carter, “for reasons understandable at the time,” the newspaper said.
The page’s editor had reportedly told colleagues that it was being reviewed by the newspaper’s owner, Jeff Bezos. The Post itself has reported that it was Bezos who made the decision not to endorse a presidential candidate
Columnist Robert Kagan, a conservative Trump critic, resigned from his editorial board position after the decision became known.
However, he refused to make an endorsement in 1988 between George HW Bush and Michael Dukakis.
All of his endorsements since Carter have been Democrats.
In his op-ed, CEO Lewis added: In his op-ed, CEO Lewis said: ‘We recognize that this will be read in a variety of ways, including as a tacit endorsement of one candidate or a condemnation of another. or as an abdication of responsibility.
‘We don’t see it that way. We consider him consistent with the values that the Post has always defended and what we expect from a leader: character and courage in the service of the American ethic, reverence for the rule of law, and respect for human freedom in all its aspects. ‘
The Post’s chief political correspondent, Ashley Parker, simply said, “Well, it’s certainly a new kind of October surprise.”
Former Post executive editor Martin Baron responded to the X decision
Democrats such as Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders have also expressed outrage over the Post’s decision.
“This is what oligarchy is all about,” Sanders said on X.
‘Jeff Bezos, the second richest person in the world and owner of the Washington Post, rescinds his editorial board and refuses to endorse Kamala. Clearly, he’s afraid of antagonizing Trump and losing Amazon’s federal contracts. Pathetic.’
Earlier this week, Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, the billionaire owner of the LA Times, blocked a planned endorsement of Harris, prompting the resignation of the newspaper’s editorial editor.
Mariel Garza told Columbia Journalism Review in an interview that she resigned because the Times was silent about the contest in “dangerous times.”
“I am resigning because I want to make it clear that I do not agree with us remaining silent,” Garza said. ‘In dangerous times, honest people need to stand up. This is how I stand.’
In a post on social media platform White.
Soon-Shiong, who bought the newspaper in 2018, said the board “decided to remain silent and I accepted their decision.”
