David Shipley, the opinion editor of The Washington Post, has quit his job refusing to toe the line of the newspaper’s billionaire owner.
Jeff Bezos, the world’s second-richest man who owns The Post, shared a note with the newspaper’s team saying that Shipley has quit after refusing to lead the changes he wanted.
“I’m writing to let you know about a change coming to our opinion pages,” Bezos wrote.
“We are going to be writing every day in support and defense of two pillars: personal liberties and free markets. We’ll cover other topics too of course, but viewpoints opposing those pillars will be left to be published by others.
“There was a time when a newspaper, especially one that was a local monopoly, might have seen it as a service to bring to the reader’s doorstep every morning a broad-based opinion section that sought to cover all views. Today, the internet does that job.
“I am of America and for America, and proud to be so. Our country did not get here by being typical. And a big part of America’s success has been freedom in the economic realm and everywhere else. Freedom is ethical — it minimizes coercion — and practical — it drives creativity, invention, and prosperity.
“I offered David Shipley, whom I greatly admire, the opportunity to lead this new chapter. I suggested to him that if the answer wasn’t “hell yes,” then it had to be “no.” After careful consideration, David decided to step away. This is a significant shift, it won’t be easy, and it will require 100% commitment — I respect his decision. We’ll be searching for a new Opinion Editor to own this new direction.
“I’m confident that free markets and personal liberties are right for America. I also believe these viewpoints are underserved in the current market of ideas and news opinion. I’m excited for us together to fill that void,” Bezos wrote.
Last month, over 400 staff of The Washington Post shot off a letter to Bezos asking for a meeting after expressing widespread concern about the newspaper’s future.
“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 prompted some of our most distinguished colleagues to leave, with more departures imminent,” they wrote in the letter.
The Amazon founder bought The Washington Post for $250 million in 2013.