Amazon employees speak out about Jeff Bezos's WaPo decision, with some supporting his call, leaked messages show

• Jeff Bezos precocious decided to extremity statesmanlike endorsements by nan Washington Post.
• In leaked messages, Amazon labor are divided, pinch immoderate supporting his call.
• Other Amazon labor questioned Bezos's motives and timing.

Jeff Bezos's caller determination to extremity statesmanlike endorsements by nan Washington Post sparked a backlash that mislaid nan newspaper much than 250,000 subscriptions.

The WaPo business has besides go a hot-button issue among immoderate labor wrong Amazon, nan institution Bezos founded and ran until 2021, according to dozens of soul Slack messages obtained by Business Insider.

While respective Amazon labor criticized nan change, immoderate unit supported Bezos's arguable call.

One worker commended Bezos for being consenting to stock his constituent of position while noting that nan timing of his opinion piece was not ideal. This personification wrote that it's nan type of activity transparency that Amazon has been missing since Bezos's departure successful 2021, citing nan company's recent decision to bring labor backmost into nan agency without capable explanation.

"These are things I expect a leader to do," nan worker wrote successful 1 of nan Slack messages obtained by BI. "I'm starting to recognize that astir leaders aren't for illustration this."

Another Amazon worker wrote that Bezos should person much right-leaning editorials successful nan Post to trim nan cognition of bias.

Bezos drew a firestorm of disapproval aft nan Washington Post, nan publication he's owned since 2013, announced past week that it would extremity endorsing statesmanlike candidates going forward. The Washington Post has agelong endorsed Democratic candidates, and immoderate saw nan move arsenic a measurement to curry favour pinch Donald Trump successful lawsuit he wins adjacent month's US election.

Spokespeople astatine Amazon and Washington Post didn't respond to requests for remark connected Wednesday.

'Credibility boost'

Bezos, successful an opinion piece connected Monday, said location was "no quid pro quo of immoderate kind" successful his determination and said he is against statesmanlike endorsements because they "do thing to extremity nan scales of an election" and only create "a cognition of bias."

Some Amazon labor agreed, according to nan Slack messages obtained by BI.

"If immoderate news statement stopped endorsing candidates, I'd beryllium much inclined to springiness them a publication because I'd position that arsenic a credibility boost," 1 worker wrote.

Other Amazon labor said it was "silly" and "sad" to spot truthful galore Washington Post readers cancel their subscriptions complete nan endorsement issue. They said those readers were only consenting to judge news articles that conform to their governmental views, preventing them from seeing a wider world.

"These biases lead to a distortion of what is really happening (both connected nan near and nan right) and I deliberation is bad for nan country," 1 of nan Amazon staffers wrote.

'Suspicious and worrisome'

Still, immoderate of Amazon labor who weighed successful connected nan company's soul Slack were suspicious of Bezos's existent motivation.

These workers said nan timing of nan decision, coming weeks earlier nan election, was concerning. One worker called it "suspicious and worrisome."

Trump is starring immoderate predetermination polls and has a history of playing favorites arsenic president, which gives Bezos a "clear justification" to awkward distant from immoderate benignant of endorsement, 1 of nan labor wrote.

"If they proceed to not endorse group arsenic nan years spell by, past possibly I'll judge this arsenic nan inflection constituent of a caller policy," different Amazon worker wrote. "As it is now, I don't bargain this editorial."

Other Amazon labor were much blunt, saying they were going to cancel their ain Washington Post subscriptions. One staffer wrote that it was "unthinkable" for nan Post not to endorse a statesmanlike candidate, fixed that "endorsements are a superior usability of people journalism."

"Disappointing, spot ya WaPo — nary longer a apical 3 assets for me, if your directive is to prop your owners interests," different Amazon worker wrote.

'Not correct for a business'

Some labor had a snarkier view, pointing to nan truth that Blue Origin's CEO Dave Limp met pinch Trump connected nan aforesaid time of WaPo's decision. Bezos owns Blue Origin, a abstraction institution that useful intimately pinch nan government. Bezos said successful his op-ed that nan gathering was impromptu and had nary relationship to nan endorsement.

Other labor provided immoderate imaginable solutions for Bezos. One personification suggested nan Post constitute 2 abstracted sentiment pieces endorsing each candidate, and letting nan readers decide.

Some labor compared Bezos's remarks to caller comments by Amazon unreality CEO Matt Garman, who faced backlash aft saying 9 retired of 10 labor he's talked to are excited astir nan company's push to return to nan agency afloat time.

One worker criticized Bezos and Garman for presenting opinions arsenic facts.

"Presenting their opinions arsenic truth is not right," this personification wrote. "It's not correct for a business and it's not successful statement pinch nan 'great responsibility' rule that we are 'supposed' to follow."

Do you activity astatine Amazon? Got a tip?

Contact nan reporter, Eugene Kim, via nan encrypted-messaging apps Signal aliases Telegram (+1-650-942-3061) aliases email (ekim@businessinsider.com). Reach retired utilizing a nonwork device. Check retired Business Insider's source guide for different tips connected sharing accusation securely.