400 Washington Post newspapers tell Jeff Bezos they are ‘deeply alarmed’ by the paper’s direction

More than 400 Washington Post journalists signed and sent a letter to owner Jeff Bezos on Wednesday, saying they are “deeply concerned” about the paper’s leadership as its readership continues to erode and journalistic talent depletes.

The letter said recent poor decisions have “led readers to question the integrity” of the paper and led some high-profile staffers to leave. Bezos was criticized by Washington Post reporters for his decision to cancel the editorial board’s plan to support Kamala Harris in last November’s election — a decision Bezos later said was the “right decision.” But the letter says the problems run deeper than that.

“This goes well beyond the issue of presidential approval, which we recognize as the prerogative of the owner,” the letter said. “It’s about maintaining our competitive advantage, restoring lost trust and reestablishing a relationship with management based on open communication. »

The letter urged Bezos to come speak with WaPo editors and present a “clear vision” for the paper’s future (NPR was the first outlet to report the news).

The letter does not name CEO Will Lewis, but his leadership has been unpopular with many staff members. Last week, after WaPo laid off about 100 employees, the newspaper’s union criticized Lewis for not speaking to employees for “230 days.”

Perhaps most worrying for the paper is that its web traffic has “collapsed,” as Semafor reported this week. The newspaper went from about 22.5 million daily active users at the start of 2021 to 2.5 million to 3 million by mid-2024, according to internal metrics.

Another problem for The Post is that it is losing a lot of money. The Wall Street Journal reported on WaPo lost about $100 million last year as ad revenue and subscriptions fell short of expectations.

On Monday, anti-Trump columnist Jen Rubin announced she was leaving the paper and took a shot at Bezos on her way out.

“His acolytes are adapting to and facilitating the gravest threat to American democracy – Donald Trump – at a time when a free and vibrant press is more essential than ever to the survival and ability of our democracy to thrive.” , Rubin said in his resignation.

Beyond Rubin, investigative journalist Josh Dawsey left the outlet last week for the Wall Street Journal, while The Atlantic poached political correspondents Ashley Parker and Michael Scherer at the end of December. WaPo White House reporter Tyler Pager will also head to the New York Times starting in February.

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