Washington Post employees send plea to Jeff Bezos. Read their petition.

• More than 400 Washington Post employees are urging Jeff Bezos to meet with the newspaper’s executives.
• The letter says integrity and transparency issues have led to staff departures.
• The Post has faced subscriber losses and intense scrutiny from its CEO Will Lewis.

More than 400 Washington Post employees sent a letter to the newspaper’s owner, Jeff Bezos, asking him to intervene after a year of crisis.

The letter asked Bezos, who has owned the paper since 2013, to come to the Post and meet with its executives.

“We are deeply alarmed by recent leadership decisions that have led readers to question the integrity of this institution, broken with a tradition of transparency, and caused some of our most distinguished colleagues to leave, with other departures imminent,” the letter said. “This goes well beyond the issue of presidential approval, which we recognize as the prerogative of the owner. It is about maintaining our competitive advantage, restoring the trust that has been lost and reestablishing a relationship with the leaders based on open communication.”

One editorial insider called it notable for its representation of non-union members as well as union signers.

“It increases the pressure,” said the person, who like others spoke on condition of anonymity to speak freely about internal affairs. Their identity is known to Business Insider.

Since Bezos bought the paper, the Amazon executive chairman has had regular meetings with the companies but has largely stayed out of media coverage.

“From the beginning, he told us he would not be involved in the newsroom in any way, nor would he own it,” the Post source said. “Our coverage of Amazon has been aggressive, and he has never backed down. I think the call now is to get him involved now to establish some leadership in the newsroom.”

The Post has been hit by a series of recent crises under the leadership of Will Lewis, its publisher and CEO. NPR reported that the outlet lost a significant number of subscribers after announcing – just days before November’s US presidential election – that it would not support any candidate. The move broke with 40 years of tradition and came after an endorsement from Kamala Harris was expected.

Bezos later explained his decision in an opinion column, saying many people believed the media was biased and that presidential support didn’t help.

A second person close to the Post, familiar with subscription figures, said the paper had regained at least 20% of the subscriptions lost after the approval situation. They said almost three-quarters of people who canceled their subscriptions still use the site as long as their subscription remains active.

Since the endorsement controversy, a number of high-profile newsroom figures have defected.

Among them is a Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist who resigned after the newspaper refused to publish her cartoon depicting Bezos and other media and tech CEOs sucking up a statue of President-elect Donald Trump. David Shipley, the Post’s opinion editor, said at the time that he rejected the cartoon because the paper had already published a column on the same subject and another was planned.

A third Post insider described a nihilistic feeling within the company amid the talent exodus. They said they felt it would be difficult for the paper to move forward under Bezos’ leadership in a second Trump administration, given credibility issues among some left-leaning readers.

“A lot of really good institutions are going to have a really tough time under the Trump administration, from higher education to journalism,” this person said. “And I think the post office, in part because of our own action, is one of the first to see its walls shake really, really hard.”

Lewis already faced scrutiny when he replaced editor-in-chief Sally Buzbee last year and then had his choice of replacement canceled. He was also questioned about his actions following a phone hacking scandal in the UK.

Not all Postal Service employees agree with the petition. Another staffer, sports columnist Sally Jenkins, said the Post’s biggest problem is the underlying business challenges it and other traditional media outlets face.

“I think the Postal Service is trying to find solutions, and it’s taking a long time,” she said. “Would I love it if Jeff Bezos came to the editorial office? Sure. I just think it’s a lot more complicated than, ‘Oh, it’ll be fine if Jeff Bezos comes in and talks to some editors.'”

Like many other media outlets, the newspaper has struggled with revenue. Last week, it began laying off 4% of the companies’ staff, Reuters reported.

Here is the full text of the letter:

To Jeff Bezos:

You recently wrote that it was essential to ensure the long-term success and editorial independence of this journal. We agree, and we think you’re as proud of The Washington Post as we are.

We are deeply alarmed by recent leadership decisions that have led readers to question the integrity of this institution, broken with a tradition of transparency, and pushed some of our most prominent colleagues to leave, while more other departures are imminent. This goes well beyond the question of presidential endorsement, which we recognize as the prerogative of the owner. It’s about maintaining our competitive advantage, restoring lost trust and reestablishing a relationship with leaders based on open communication.

We invite you to come to our office and meet with Postal Service leaders, as you have in the past, to discuss what is happening at the Postal Service. We understand the need for change and we look forward to presenting the news in innovative ways. But we need a clear vision that we can believe in.

We are committed to independent journalism that holds those in power to account and reporting news without fear or favor. This will never change. Nothing can shake our resolve to follow the stories wherever they lead.

As you wrote when you took ownership of The Post in 2013, “The Post’s values ​​do not need to be changed.” We urge you to support us in reaffirming these values.

Sign,

Washington Post Staff