More than 400 Washington Post journalists signed and sent a letter to owner Jeff Bezos on Wednesday saying they are “deeply concerned” with the paper’s leadership as its readership continues to erode and journalistic talent bleeds out.
The letter said poor recent decisions have “led readers to question the integrity” of the paper and led some big-name staffers to leave. Bezos was criticized by Washington Post journalists for his decision to cancel the editorial board’s plan to endorse Kamala Harris during last November’s election — a move Bezos later said was the “right decision.” But the letter said the issues run deeper than that.
“This goes far beyond the issue of the presidential endorsement, which we recognize as the owner’s prerogative,” the letter stated. “This is about retaining our competitive edge, restoring trust that has been lost and reestablishing a relationship with leadership based on open communication.”
The letter urged Bezos to come in and talk with WaPo editors and outline a “clear vision” for the paper moving forward (NPR was the first outlet to report the news).
The letter did not call out CEO Will Lewis by name, but his leadership has been unpopular with many staffers. Last week, after WaPo laid off roughly 100 employees, the newspaper’s union criticized Lewis for not addressing employees in “a whopping 230 days.”
Perhaps most concerning for the paper is that its web traffic has “cratered,” as Semafor reported this week. The paper has gone from about 22.5 million daily active users in early 2021 to 2.5-3 million by mid-2024, according to internal metrics.
Another issue for The Post is that it is losing a lot of money. The Wall Street Journal reported WaPo lost about $100 million last year, as ad revenue and subscriptions did not meet expectations.
On Monday, anti-Trump columnist Jen Rubin announced she was leaving the paper and took a shot at Bezos on her way out the door.
“His cronies accommodate and enable the most acute threat to American democracy — Donald Trump — at a time when a vibrant free press is more essential than ever to our democracy’s survival and capacity to thrive,” Rubin said in her resignation.
Beyond Rubin, investigative reporter Josh Dawsey left the outlet last week for the Wall Street Journal, while The Atlantic poached political correspondents Ashley Parker and Michael Scherer right at the end of December. WaPo White House reporter Tyler Pager is also heading to The New York Times, starting in February.
