For the first time in 36 years, The Washington Post editorial page will not be endorsing a presidential candidate in the 2024 election, the paper announced on Friday morning.
“The Washington Post will not be making an endorsement of a presidential candidate in this election,” publisher William Lewis said. “Nor in any future presidential election. We are returning to our roots of not endorsing presidential candidates.”
Washington Post editorial page editor David Shipley told his colleagues about the paper’s decision during a “tense” meeting on Friday, according to NPR.
“Shipley told colleagues the editorial board was told yesterday by management that there would not be an endorsement,” NPR reported. “He added that he ‘owns’ this decision. The reason he cited was to create ‘independent space’ where the newspaper does not tell people for whom to vote.”
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who owns the paper, has not publicly backed Republican nominee Donald Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 race. Status reported earlier this week that some Washington Post employees believe Bezos didn’t want to alienate Trump by having the paper officially endorse a candidate.
Four years ago, Bezos celebrated Joe Biden and Harris winning in an Instagram post, saying their victory showed “unity, empathy and decency are not characteristics of a bygone era.”
Marty Baron, who was the paper’s executive editor from 2012 to 2021, blasted the Post on X on Friday.
“This is cowardice, with democracy as its casualty,” Baron said. “Donald Trump will see this as an invitation to further intimidate owner Jeff Bezos (and others). Disturbing spinelessness at an institution famed for courage.”
The Post’s decision comes after the Los Angeles Times declined to endorse a presidential candidate earlier this week — a move that’s led to several editorial staffers quitting. The Times’ editorial page was prepared to back Harris against Trump, but now-ex-editorials editor Mariel Garza said owner Patrick Soon-Shiong vetoed that decision; Soon-Shiong denied he blocked any endorsement.
The Times’ decision led to an outcry from many left-leaning readers who said they were canceling their subscriptions due to the non-endorsement.
Those angry with the LA Times or Washington Post won’t have to look far to find outlets that have endorsed a candidate, at least. The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Atlantic and The New Yorker have all officially backed the vice president. The New York Post, on the other hand, endorsed Trump on Friday, saying he was the “right choice” for the country.
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