‘Deeply alarmed’: Washington Post journos seek meeting with Bezos amid financial woes

More than 400 Washington Post journalists have penned a letter to Jeff Bezos, requesting a meeting amid widespread concerns about the newspaper’s future.

Signed by numerous prominent journalists, the letter urges Bezos to intervene and restore lost trust, reported CNN. “We are deeply alarmed by recent leadership decisions that have led readers to question the integrity of this institution, broken with a tradition of transparency, and prompted some of our most distinguished colleagues to leave, with more departures imminent,” reads the letter.

Also read: US polls | Washington Post’s refusal to endorse any candidate on Bezos’ fiat sparks fury

Declining fortune

After acquiring the Washington Post in 2013, the billionaire owner has maintained a hands-off approach to the paper’s editorial content, instead focusing on meetings with the business side of the operation.

The letter claims their concerns have nothing to do with Bezos’ recent decision to end its endorsement of US presidential candidates, which the letter writers acknowledge as “the owner's prerogative”. However, the decision has had significant consequences, with the Post losing 2,50,000 subscribers (10% of its base) and reportedly $100m in 2024, according to the Wall Street Journal.

“This goes far beyond the issue of the presidential endorsement, which we recognize as the owner's prerogative. This is about retaining our competitive edge, restoring trust that has been lost, and re-establishing a relationship with leadership based on open communication,” the letter added.

Meanwhile, the paper's website has also witnessed a decline in digital visitors, dropping from 114 million in November 2020 to 54 million in November 2024. As a result of the paper's financial struggles, almost 100 employees, about 4% of the staff, were fired last week.

Fresh layoffs

The latest round of layoffs has added to the disquiet among staffers, who have been concerned about the direction of the paper since Will Lewis took over as CEO in November 2023. Though the letter has not named him, staff have been up in arms against his appointment, as he has attempted to shift the paper’s left-leaning stance towards the centre. Lewis has also drawn flak for restricting journalists from reporting on internal matters, sparked by the departure of Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Ann Telnaes.

Also read: ‘Endorsement creates bias’: Jeff Bezos defends Washington Post’s call to sit out US polls

Not just Telnaes, several prominent reporters have left or announced their departures in recent weeks. Notable departures include Ashley Parker, Josh Dawsey, and Michael Scherer, who are headed to publications like The Atlantic and The Wall Street Journal.

“As you wrote when you first became The Post's owner in 2013, ‘The values of The Post do not need changing.’ We urge you to stand with us in reaffirming those values,” added the letter.

The letter concluded by asking Bezos to visit the Post's offices to meet with the newspaper's staff. Interestingly, Bezos made a similar visit to the Post’s offices in 2023, following widespread discontent with former publisher Fred Ryan, who ultimately stepped down later that year.