Washington Post publisher takes blame for non-endorsement debacle

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Salon

Published October 26, 2024 4:32PM (EDT)


The publisher of the Washington Post is running defense for owner Jeff Bezos, after the paper's decision not to endorse a candidate in this year's presidential election caused an uproar.

Will Lewis took responsibility for the highly criticized decision to end the outlet's decades-long tradition of endorsement. In a Saturday morning statement to CNN, Lewis defended Bezos from reports that the billionaire interfered with the paper’s planned endorsement of Kamala Harris.

“Reporting around the role of The Washington Post owner and the decision not to publish a presidential endorsement has been inaccurate,” Lewis said. “He was not sent, did not read and did not opine on any draft.”

The carefully worded statement notes only that Bezos' role was inaccurately described. The statement runs against one put out by the Post's union, which claimed doesn't completely conflict with the Post’s own reporting, where sources with knowledge of the decision to not endorse laid the blame on Bezos.

Read more: https://www.salon.com/2024/10/26/washington-post-publisher-takes-for-non-endorsement-debacle/?in_brief=true

[RockRaven]

1. In which Lewis performs the function for which Bezos hired him...

[Baitball Blogger]

12. The good thing about this is that we know now that Bezos is worried.

[NotHardly]

24. Bezos is a remarkable weak ass Billionaire ... whose paying him?

[Polybius]

31. All of us who buy from Amazon

That's enough to make him the 2nd richest man in the world.

[LisaM]

54. People need to boycott Amazon.

I have a friend (who's a journalist and who's cancelled her WaPo subscription) who also describes herself as having an Amazon addiction.

I think Amazon is more habit-forming than addictive (unless of course you have a shopping addiction) but I have more left leaning friends right now who are self-righteously cancelling their Washington Posts subscriptions but would likely never entertain the idea of cancelling their Prime subscriptions than I
would care to count. They'd find some justification.

[Polybius]

71. I can't do that

Sometimes I need something hyper-fast that's not available locally, such as a specific Halloween costume by Thursday. Amazon Prime is my only option.

[LisaM]

72. Sarcasm noted!

(I assume I was not supposed to treat that as a serious complaint). "Wink, wink!"

[Zilli]

73. I stopped amazon at least 5 years ago

I can find almost anything I want to buy elsewhere and I don't care one bit about prime. I have eBay, free shipping joy and will do all i can to avoid anything Bezos.

[LisaM]

74. Curious why you ever started.

Granted, I live in Seattle, which was an early victim of the peculiar desolation Amazon brings to a city, but I simply don't get the appeal of shopping online (unless it's necessary) versus the joy of physically going into a space and handling things like plates or hats or books or linens before deciding whether I want them.

[Zilli]

75. Mobility issues . . . .

I would rather shop in person, but like many people who do not have transportation and take the bus everywhere or have mobility issues or both, online shopping works. This situation is about just getting what is needed without supporting awful people

[LisaM]

77. I have to take transit almost everywhere, too.

I still do it. I walk to the grocery store and take the bus home (even though I get PTSD at the bus stop, where I was attacked once). I don't have mobility issues, but I am getting older, and I am technically a senior now!

Seattle has made it nearly impossible to shop using transit and downtown is essentially gone, but my larger point is, how did this happen? I used to have a good bus that took me within a block of three different grocery stores. Now one of the stores is gone (ironically replaced by a light rail stop), one is Whole Foods which I now boycott because it's Amazon, and the third one I can no longer get to from downtown on one bus. A 29-minute trip on one bus turned into a 55-minute trip on two buses and Metro defends it and actually argued with me online about the time difference.

I don't understand why consumers knowingly made shopping in person more difficult. It was easy. Now it's hard. Why?

[ShazzieB]

81. I think the keyword is "knowingly."

People who shop online do so because they find it convenient, and it works for them. It's really that simple.

I doubt it even occurs to the vast majority of folks that ordering something online might adversely affect the ability to shop in person in some localities. That possibility honestly never entered my own mind until I read your posts in this thread. I'm sorry to hear about what's happened in your area. I imagine the impacts are different in different places, but unless someone lives in such an affected place, they wouldn't know.

Personally, I haven't noticed the kind of differences you describe where I live, with the exception of bookstores. Amazon has had an undeniable impact there. There is no shortage of places to shop for other things, however, and grocery stores abound around here.

As for Amazon, I don't like Jeff Bezos any better than the next person, believe me. But the fact is, Amazon is very successful, because it does what it does extremely well, and as long as that continues to be the case, it will continue to make money for its owner. If I were to personally decide not to use Amazon anymore, I'm sure it wouldn't affect Bezos' bottom line one iota; but it would have definite negative impacts on me that I will not go into.

I guess I'd say I'm a bit jaded about my personal ability to affect the bottom line of any billionaire. Also, if I tried to boycott every single large corporation that has business practices I don't agree with or supports causes I don’t support, I honestly don't know what would be left. I admire people who are willing to make that effort, and I used to be one of them, but the older I get, the harder I find it to make personal sacrifices for noble reasons. (That's just where I am right now; I'm not advocating that others adopt the same approach.)

In the end, we're all just trying to survive in a tough world, and we all have to do what we're able to do and what works for us personally. Those factors are going to be different for each individual. I would never judge anyone else's choices in that respect, and I don't need anyone else's approval for my own, including the fact that using Amazon for certain things works well for me.

[LisaM]

83. That's the problem - I am forced to live in the online world.

Things I like have been systematically taken away from me. Because other people like shopping online, my own options have been narrowed.

I also liked living in a city with a bustling downtown. Now I don't. And I hate that it's this way.

Online shopping also takes money out of the local economy. Small business owners feel it. It's pretty much impossible to sustain a small business now.

[Rocknation]

55. DING DING DING -- Baitball Blogger, you're our grand prize winner!

...(W)e know now that Bezos is worried.

Here's what I think he's worried about: Trump losing by such a wide margin that having endorsed him would undermine his image as an alpha businessman. I also suspect that Bezos has proof positive that the odds are highly in favor of such an outcome. At the very least, it would explain why he is "equally" uninterested in endorsing Trump!


Rocknation

[Rocknation]

82. DING DING DING -- Rocknation, you're our grand prize winner!

I...suspect that Bezos has proof positive that the odds are in favor of...Trump losing by...a wide margin...

"Proof positive" accomplished?

USA Today.com: Democrat Kamala Harris has a sweeping lead over Republican Donald Trump -- among voters who have already cast their ballots, that is...(T)hey say by 63%-33% that they support Democratic congressional candidates.

Rocknation

[CTyankee]

42. Would you like to reconsider your use of the c word in your post?

It may interest you to know that not a few DUers consider that word offensive to women.

[ShazzieB]

50. Indeed.

I have been given to understand that Americans tend to find the word more offensive than people in some other English-speaking countries. However, DU is a US based website, so imo, it makes sense for American sensibilities to prevail here.

In other words, the C-word is out of place here at DU.

[COL Mustard]

59. Glad I missed that post!

And wasn't on the jury either. I'd have voted for exile.

[CTyankee]

65. Djoes this mean the poster has been banned?

[ShazzieB]

79. No.

It just says "post removed." That means no other action was taken at this time.

People aren't usually banned for one infraction, unless it's something extremely egregious, which this wasn't.

There is a very small number of repeat offenders who sign up over and over under a new name, after being banned under the last one. MIRT has gotten very good at keeping track of those people and eliminating them when they make a reappearance. If you see someone getting banned after only one or 2 posts, it's usually one of those people, or someone who was an obvious troll for other reasons.

[IbogaProject]

34. OK Mr Bozo the Billionaire didn't reject he endorsement

But that doesn't exclude him forbidding endorsing Harris.

[malthaussen]

35. In which he proves he is a good little weasel...

... which we already knew from his failure to endorse anybody.

-- Mal

[DENVERPOPS]

68. Take one

for the gipper.............

[pat_k]

2. That's a big fat non-denial denial if I ever heard one

"He was not sent, did not read and did not opine on any draft.”

You don' t need to see a draft to put the kibosh on an endorsement you know is in the works.

[SunSeeker]

4. Exactly. What an insult to our intelligence! Fuck off Lewis. Fuck off Bezos.

[jaxexpat]

10. Their plan is coming along nicely, the scheme to dumb Americans down so they would not recognize the insults.

There's a lot less intelligence to insult since the Reagan era, you know. The PTB have juggled our thoughts with input designed to titillate our attention for so many decades now that we salivate on command, even our outrage is pre-programmed with its own canned laugh-track. Reality schmeality*, PBS or Fox, take your pick. They're all in the same memo loop.

* Another term I just now coined for your entertainment and the enrichment of my brand. Not sure what it means but, these days, the pretention alone will make it memorable if not salable.

Just so there's little or no confusion, some of the preceding may have been unsuitable for some readers. please find this smilie

[patphil]

26. Yeah, I saw it as a carefully crafted reply that was done to misdirect the readers.

The editor did Bezos' bidding and took the heat for it.

[moniss]

3. Amazingly enough

it is likely that after a few months everybody in the media looking to sell their soul for a job will be talking up Will Lewis as being a highly respected figure in journalism.

[jaxexpat]

11. Bidding started yesterday.

[ConstanceCee]

5. Cancelled

I cancelled my WP subscription of 42 years when Will Lewis was hired. I miss what it used to be.

[Maeve]

6. Changing my line--Democracy dies in cowardice and complicity

Although I am not sure where one ends and the other takes over....

And yeah, I canceled my subscription as soon as I read Lewis' first announcement

[Blues Heron]

7. Democracy Dies in Willie's Weasel Words

[GusBob]

8. Amazon took a -0.01% hit, I reckon

“Will I’m going broke, get out there a carefully worded kiss my ass”

[niyad]

9. Remind me again about lewis' role in the news of the world (murdoch)

phone hacking scandal.

[mpcamb]

13. What mealy-mouth double talk from spineless rats!

[33taw]

14. The denial almost makes it worse.

[modrepub]

15. Bezos Needs Someone to Follow Him Around in A Chicken Suit

F-ing coward. Well, like usual, its up to the little people to do the dirty work and stand up for themselves.

In honor of Bezos, I'll cut and paste this gem.

Brave Sir Robin ran away.

Bravely ran away away.

When danger reared it's ugly head,
He bravely turned his tail and fled.

Yes, brave Sir Robin turned about
And gallantly he chickened out.

Swiftly taking to his feet,
He beat a very brave retreat.
Bravest of the brave, Sir Robin!

[jvill]

16. Irrelevant: Lewis a right-wing Murdoch stooge, and Bezos is the owner. Both are responsible! Canceled!

[wolfie001]

19. This I will continue to post

He worked for Mordoch while the Brit phone-tap scandal was in full bloom.

[wolfie001]

17. Bozos made the call

Pure and simple. Maybe from a catamaran or a sub-orbital airplane while getting a HJ.

[underpants]

78. You are correct. He did.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100219606223

[wolfie001]

84. Thanks! I missed that

[Miles Archer]

18. SHORT VERSION: Bezos or the Publisher or the Kid In The Mailroom let Trump grab them by the ****y.

I really don't care about ANY OF THIS.

The short version is THE WASHINGTON POST made the decision. Now, NO...I don't believe you should tell Eugene Robinson or any of their fine reporters to get bent.

But it was an EXECUTIVE DECISION.

Remember CHRIS LICHT at CNN, who went down in flames after Trump's "Town Hall?"

Licht was a SACRIFICIAL LAMB. Warner CEO David Zaslav and his radical right billionaire boy pal John Malone were the architects for turning CNN into Fox Lite. Licht just followed orders and took the fall.

I could GIVE A FUCK about Bezos' "image." It's his paper. He needs to carry AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE WEIGHT for this.

[Dem4life1970]

20. Choices have consequences....

The Washington Post is now in serious financial trouble.and has lost significant credibility.

[ArkansasDemocrat1]

32. ALL credibility

I'd trust the Weekly World News before them. What happened to Bat-Boi anyway?

[Prairie_Seagull]

21. If this were so, why did Lewis wait so long to release statement.

BULLSHIT!!!!

imo.

[AmericanBot]

22. *Carefully worded

[img][/img]

[BattleRow]

36. And a " Brazilian " for extra douchieness.

[SunSeeker]

43. He is nowhere near tough enough to be called a pussy.

[republianmushroom]

25. Tell me again whose is to blame.

The Washington Post’s outgoing editor-at-large and longtime columnist has made explosive claims that its owner Jeff Bezos struck a deal with Donald Trump in order to kill the newspaper’s endorsement of Kamala Harris.

Read more: https://www.thedailybeast.com/ex-washington-post-editor-robert-kagan-this-is-a-straight-jeff-bezos-donald-trump-quid-pro-quo/

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143328986

[ThreeNoSeep]

27. Prove it, Lewis.

by resigning.

I cancelled my subscription until Bezos makes a new decision or the publisher leaves, and they make a Harris endorsement.

One hypothesis I toy with to explain such a blatant cowardly move is as follows:
Perhaps Bezos ran a sim/prediction model to determine the best strategic response to the variety of outcomes that could emerge from this election, and this capitulation was the least worst choice, given a Kamala win or a Trump win. In the lead up, the non endorsement provides the editorial side the outraged impetus to continue making quality reports in the face of an embarrassing abandonment of past endorsements. If (when!) Kamala wins, the WP could eventually recover the lost trust with heir leadership through new subscribers and returning former subscribers. If Trump wins, Bezos' government interests/entanglements can survive the coming years of fascism.

[BradBo]

28. Halarious double speak.

[Bev54]

29. Make that little dickhead Bezos stand up and explain himself in front of the country and

take questions like why the same day his executives were meeting with Trump? I hate cowards who do not take responsibility and I hate rich cowards even more.

[SunSeeker]

44. Exactly! Bezos certainly knows how to speak for himself! nt

[NotHardly]

30. He's just doing what Bezos hired him to do, Bezos is a weak spineless sh*t.

[TBF]

33. We don't need Amazon Prime either - you both can suck it.

I will find a replacement for Kindle. There's got to be a way I can just read on my iPhone.

[verargert]

37. Bozos just called him

Lewis said. “He was not sent, did not read and did not opine on any draft.”

Did not write 'he did not call'

[SunSeeker]

45. Exactly. Who needs a draft? Everyone knew staff would endorse Kamala, including Bezos.

This was Bezos' call.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

38. Falling on his sword for his boss

[BlueKota]

39. Yeah like Bezos meeting with Bozo about

Blue Horizon was pure coincidence? 😒🙄

They need to remember there are some us left, who still have a functioning brain, and working bullshit detectors.

[Beartracks]

40. Well, yeah, if an endorsement was nixed before there was even a draft...

... then this could be true. You can't receive, read, or opine about a draft that never got written.

But you most certainly CAN opine about - and squash - the endorsement itself before there's a draft.

==========

[Rocknation]

41. "Reporting around the role of The Washington Post owner

Last edited Mon Nov 4, 2024, 12:54 PM - Edit history (2)

and the decision not to publish a presidential endorsement has been inaccurate,” Lewis said. “He was not sent, did not read, and did not opine on any draft.”

Well, if an order not to endorse anyone came down on WaPo before a draft even existed, then congratulations, Lewis -- you've made Bezos look even worse!!! At least, logic dictates that the "Washington Post owner" Lewis is referring to is Bezos...since Lewis dared not speak his name...


Rocknation

[SunSeeker]

46. LOL, Bezos is like Beetlejuice!

[mdbl]

47. NIce try. We still won't use Amazon.

[BootinUp]

48. He and Jeff think we are really that stupid. nt

[toad-eye]

49. I do most of the shopping for our house

I do most of the shopping for our house.
Because I'm good at it, have excellent recall, and save us a ton.
We are on SS.
Amazon is convenient. (next day delivery free {for a price})
But I will look elsewhere and only shop amazon if I can't find it elsewhere.

Join me!

[BootinUp]

52. good attitude! nt

[FakeNoose]

80. It's not "free" shipping - he makes enough on the Prime memberships to cover the cost

That's how Bezos could afford all those brand new snazzy Prime delivery vans. We paid for those with our Prime membership that keeps going up every year.

[Easterncedar]

51. Hilarious!

The publisher complains of inaccurate reporting. Say what?

[brush]

53. Oh, please. People are not stupid. Everyone with any sense know that Bezos made his wishes known...

to the publiser.

[AZLD4Candidate]

56. Nice non-denial denial, a-hole. When do you resign in disgrace and never take another journalism job again?

[aurora the great]

57. Let us speak to Bezos in a language he can hear (with due respect to Billy Corgan)

Just cancelled my subscription to Amazon. This is no token gesture. We use Amazon for many small but repetitive purchases. It expedites the materials I need for my part time business. We used to watch Prime a lot. But when I look back to last series we were following they have ended or were cancelled so no loss there. Here's the kicker my husband works for one of the Amazon Fulfillment centers. We were supposed to get the services for free but we never did. So here goes its been good to know ya, Amazon. My letter to the editor of the Washington Post "A Republic if you can Keep It" follows tomorrow.

[Jakes Progress]

58. Scenario: bezos and lewis in room

lewis: "Editorial department is going to endorse Harris."
bezos: "Like hell they are."

lewis's cockroach of a statement does not preclude this scene. It only says beezy never read the endorsement.

[GoYouPackersGo]

60. Well fuck him too, then.

[Montauk6]

61. This look says it all

"Well, LOOK who got out of another jam!"

[Skittles]

62. WEAK

SERIOUSLY FUCKED UP

[Hermit-The-Prog]

63. Too much media, too many judges, too much power in the hands of sociopathic billionaires.

[JoseBalow]

64. More fuckery

Shameless

[IzzaNuDay]

66. someone lost their fortitude

A principled person has fortitude. Just reading this drivel of an explanation leads me to believe Lewis has no principle or fortitude.

[Jack Valentino]

67. whatever. I'm sure the owner cast a "long shadow", whether or not

he was involved in that decision.


Washington Post---- they used to be a journalistic standard, back around 1974....


Now it seems they are New-York-timesish--- except I guess the New York Times actually made an endorsement this year--- after doing everything they could editorially to destroy the party which they eventually endorsed....


At this point, my favorite newspapers are the one in Philadelphia, and the Guardian-- which isn't even an American paper.
Actually I subscribed to the Guardian once, when it was further left and I was young and full of left-wing piss

[relayerbob]

69. That's supposed to help?

I'd fire him, personally.

[relayerbob]

70. We all need to ensure

The Washington Post dies in democracy.

VOTE!

[Basso8vb]

76. Bullshit