Washington Post loses 2 lakh subscribers amid Jeff Bezos, Harris endorsement row

Billionaire Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos on Monday (October 28, 2024) defended the newspaper's decision not to endorse a U.S. presidential candidate as “right” and “principled” and pushed back against any notion that he ordered it up to protect his business interests.

That decision, announced Friday (October 25, 2024), has reportedly led to tens of thousands of people cancelling their subscriptions and protests from journalists with a deep history at the newspaper. The Post's editorial staff was prepared to endorse Democrat Kamala Harris before publisher Will Lewis wrote instead that it would be better for readers to make up their own minds.

Mr. Bezos, in “a note from our owner” published Monday evening, said that editorial endorsements create a perception of bias at a time many Americans don't believe the media, and do nothing to tip the scales of an election.