Jeff Bezos defends Washington Post’s neutrality in 2024 election, citing 'perception of bias'

Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos defended the decision to avoid endorsing a presidential candidate ahead of the Nov. 5 election, emphasizing that political endorsements “create a perception of bias.”

In an op-ed published in the Washington Post on Monday night, Bezos explained his stance, calling the paper’s decision to end its tradition of endorsing presidential candidates a “principled decision, and it’s the right one.”

“Presidential endorsements do nothing to tip the scales of an election. No undecided voters in Pennsylvania are going to say, ‘I’m going with Newspaper A’s endorsement.’ None,” he wrote.

“What presidential endorsements actually do is create a perception of bias. A perception of non-independence.”

On Friday, Washington Post CEO and Publisher Will Lewis announced the paper would refrain from endorsing any presidential candidate, sparking backlash both inside and outside the newsroom.

The editorial board reportedly had a draft prepared in support of Vice President Kamala Harris over former President Donald Trump before the endorsement was halted.

Since the decision, over 200,000 Washington Post readers have canceled their digital subscriptions, according to NPR on Monday.

One opinion section staff member has resigned, while two others have stepped down from the editorial board but remain at the paper, as reported by Semafor.

In the op-ed, Bezos also highlighted the public's declining trust in the media and urged news outlets to “work harder to control what we can control to increase our credibility.”

“We must be accurate, and we must be believed to be accurate. It’s a bitter pill to swallow, but we are failing on the second requirement,” he wrote.

“Most people believe the media is biased. Anyone who doesn’t see this is paying scant attention to reality, and those who fight reality lose.”

Bezos, the world’s second-richest person, noted that while the Washington Post and the New York Times continue to win many awards, “increasingly we talk only to a certain elite.”

“Many people are turning to off-the-cuff podcasts, inaccurate social media posts and other unverified news sources, which can quickly spread misinformation and deepen divisions,” Bezos stated.

The Amazon founder also addressed an allegation from editor-at-large Robert Kagan, one of the staffers who resigned, that Bezos made a deal with Trump after the Washington Post’s decision not to endorse, as the GOP nominee met with Blue Origin executives – Bezos’s space company – following the announcement.