Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos has announced a “significant shift” to the paper’s opinion page which has triggered the resignation of the paper’s editorial page editor David Shipley.
The Post, which has been shaken by years of turmoil, will now publish daily opinion pieces in support of two “editorial pillars” – personal liberties and free markets. “Viewpoints opposing those pillars will be left to be published by others,” Bezos wrote on X.
I shared this note with the Washington Post team this morning:
— Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) February 26, 2025
I’m writing to let you know about a change coming to our opinion pages.
We are going to be writing every day in support and defense of two pillars: personal liberties and free markets. We’ll cover other topics too…
This comes months after Bezos blocked the opinion page’s endorsement of Kamala Harris, ostensibly costing the paper thousands of subscriptions. Shipley was among those who had tried to convince Bezos not to bar the endorsement, according to CNN. In the run-up to last year’s election, critics reportedly said Bezos was trying to change the Post’s editorial strategy to gain favourability with Trump, who has grown close to Elon Musk, whose SpaceX is a direct rival of Bezos’ own business.
Bezos had stood by the Post’s reporting on the first Trump administration. In that period, it had adopted “Democracy Dies in Darkness” as the motto. It won Pulitzer awards for reportage on the US Capitol violence and Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
Post staffers have also been unhappy over the controversial appointment of William Lewis as publisher and chief executive.
‘Massive encroachment’
“I offered David Shipley, whom I greatly admire, the opportunity to lead this new chapter,” Bezos wrote on X. “I suggested to him that if the answer wasn’t ‘hell yes,’ then it had to be ‘no.’ After careful consideration, David decided to step away. This is a significant shift, it won’t be easy, and it will require 100% commitment – I respect his decision.” Bezos said the Post will search for a new opinion editor to “own” the paper’s new editorial direction.
Several Post staffers objected to the decision.
Jeff Stein, the publisher’s chief economics reporter, termed it a “massive encroachment”. Columnist Philip Bump, who writes a weekly newsletter for the Post, appeared shocked on Bluesky.
Massive encroachment by Jeff Bezos into The Washington Post’s opinion section today - makes clear dissenting views will not be published or tolerated there
— Jeff Stein (@JStein_WaPo) February 26, 2025
I still have not felt encroachment on my journalism on the news side of coverage, but if Bezos tries interfering with the… pic.twitter.com/7hzWCUDCVV
Meanwhile, conservatives hailed the changes. “Bravo, @JeffBezos!” wrote Elon Musk on X.
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