Former Washington Post Editor Torches Jeff Bezos Over Newsroom Cuts

A legendary former editor of The Washington Post has called out the decision to gut the paper’s newsroom, calling it one of the “darkest days” in the publication’s history and torching billionaire owner Jeff Bezos for “sickening efforts to curry favor” with President Donald Trump.

Marty Baron, who was editor of The Post from 2012 until his retirement five years ago, wrote in a statement: “This ranks among the darkest days in the history of one of the world’s greatest news organizations.”

He added, “The Washington Post’s ambitions will be sharply diminished, its talented and brave staff will be further depleted, and the public will be denied the ground-level, fact-based reporting in our communities and around the world that is needed more than ever.”

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He singled out Bezos’ “ill-conceived” decision to end The Post’s tradition of endorsing presidential nominees at the 2024 presidential election, calling it a “gutless order” that “now stands out only for its moral infirmity.”

“Loyal readers, livid as they saw owner Jeff Bezos betraying the values he was supposed to uphold, fled The Post. In truth, they were driven away, by the hundreds of thousands,” he said.

“Bezos’s sickening efforts to curry favor with President Trump have left an especially ugly stain of their own. This is a case study in near-instant, self-inflicted brand destruction,” Baron added.

Bezos purchased The Post in 2013. Baron said he remains grateful to have had Bezos’ backing during the years he served as The Post’s executive editor.

“During that time, he came under brutal pressure from Trump. And yet he spoke forcefully and eloquently of a free press and The Post’s mission,” Baron wrote.

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“I wish I detected the same spirit today. There is no sign of it,” he continued.

The Post slashed one-third of its staff on Wednesday as part of a long-expected major round of layoffs. The paper’s sports desk and books department will be eliminated, while the Post Reports podcast will also be suspended, as part of the newly announced cuts.

The Washington Post Guild also took aim at Bezos, calling for him to be replaced if he’s not willing to back the storied publication.

It said in a statement, “If Jeff Bezos is no longer willing to invest in the mission that has defined this paper for generations and serve the millions who depend on Post journalism, then The Post deserves a steward that will.”

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