Washington Post won't endorse presidential candidate, sparking outrage

The Washington Post's publisher, William Lewis, connected Friday said the newspaper would not endorse a statesmanlike campaigner successful this year's predetermination aliases successful early elections, a stance that sparked outrage from and immoderate of its existent and erstwhile employees, arsenic good arsenic subscribers.  

"The Washington Post will not beryllium making an endorsement of a statesmanlike campaigner successful this election. Nor successful immoderate early statesmanlike election. We are returning to our roots of not endorsing statesmanlike candidates," Lewis wrote successful a statement published connected nan newspaper's website.

The determination follows a move by Los Angeles Times proprietor Patrick Soon-Shiong to artifact that newspaper's endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris, which has sparked nan resignation of nan editorials editor, Mariel Garza, followed by nan resignations of two different members of its editorial board.

Both Soon-Shiong and Washington Post proprietor Jeff Bezos are billionaires who made their fortunes extracurricular nan media industry. 

Former WaPo editor objects

Media observers decried nan decisions, while immoderate readers of nan newspapers said they are canceling their subscriptions.

"This is cowardice, pinch populist arsenic its casualty," wrote Marty Baron, nan erstwhile editor of nan Washington Post, who retired successful 2021, connected X Friday astir nan Washington Post's decision. Former President Donald Trump "will spot this arsenic an invitation to further intimidate owner @jeffbezos (and others). Disturbing spinelessness astatine an institution famed for courage."

The Washington Post Guild, which represents astir 1,000 journalists and different workers astatine nan media company, expressed interest that firm guidance had interfered pinch nan paper's editorial decision-making process.

"According to our reporters and Guild members, an endorsement for Harris was already drafted, and nan determination to not to people was made by The Post's owner, Jeff Bezos," nan labour group said In a post on X. "We are already seeing cancellations from erstwhile loyal readers. The determination undercuts nan activity of our members astatine a clip erstwhile we should beryllium building our readers' trust, not losing it."

Robert Kagan, an editor astatine ample for nan Washington Post, resigned from nan editorial committee arsenic consequence of nan determination not to endorse a candidate, according to NPR's David Folkenflik. "Kagan has been a persistent blimpish professional of Trump, tying him to an autocratic tradition," Folkenflik wrote connected X. "Uniformly outraged consequence from staff."

Some readers of some nan Post and nan Los Angeles Times said they planned to cancel their subscriptions, pinch immoderate posting images of their subscription cancellation notices. 

"Great, different billionaire protecting his ain self-interest alternatively of nan country's. Nice knowing you, @washingtonpost⁩. Subscription canceled," wrote Hollywood head Paul Feig connected X. 

Zach Wahls, an Iowa authorities legislator and a Democrat, wrote, "I americium a beardown believer successful paying for serious, high-quality journalism, and that is precisely why I americium canceling my @washingtonpost subscription complete this timid, cowardly determination that could not travel astatine a worse imaginable — aliases much revealing — time."

The immense mostly of scholar responses connected societal media were negative, pinch galore saying they had canceled their subscriptions, though a fewer expressed support for nan Washington Post. "For nan first clip successful my big life, I'm proud of nan Washington Post," 1 scholar wrote.

Lewis didn't instantly return a petition for comment, nor did Los Angeles Times executive editor Terry Tang.

Los Angeles Times resignations

On Thursday, Los Angeles Times seasoned journalists Robert Greene and Karin Klein announced their resignations 1 time aft nan editorial page editor Garza near successful protestation complete Soon-Shiong's determination not to endorse a candidate.

Greene, a Pulitzer Prize victor for editorial writing, said successful a connection shared pinch nan Columbia Journalism Review that he was "deeply disappointed" successful nan determination not to endorse Harris.

"I admit that it is nan owner's determination to make," he wrote. "But it wounded peculiarly because 1 of nan candidates, Donald Trump, has demonstrated specified hostility to principles that are cardinal to publicity — respect for nan truth and reverence for democracy."

Garza said nan committee had intended to endorse Harris and that she had drafted nan outline of a projected editorial, but that was blocked by Soon-Shiong.

An editorial committee operates separately from nan newsroom, and its writers' occupation is to coming an rumor and past return a broadside and laic retired arguments to take sides it.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

In:
• Kamala Harris
• Los Angeles Times
• Jeff Bezos
• Donald Trump
• The Washington Post