Two major American newspapers have announced significant changes to their presidential endorsement policies, marking a dramatic shift in traditional media practices during election seasons.
The Washington Post’s publisher and CEO William Lewis announced on Friday, October 25, that the newspaper would cease endorsing presidential candidates, both for the 2024 election and all future presidential races. Lewis emphasized this decision as a return to the paper’s historical practices, citing a 1960 editorial board statement that noted the paper’s tradition of non-endorsement in five of six previous elections.
“Our job at The Washington Post is to provide through the newsroom nonpartisan news for all Americans, and thought-provoking, reported views from our opinion team to help our readers make up their own minds,” Lewis stated.
The announcement made less than two weeks prior to an election that is deemed highly competitive by most polls sparked quick and intense backlash from a diverse group of subscribers, politicians, and media analysts.
The Washington Post’s decision to end presidential endorsements has plunged the newspaper into unprecedented internal turmoil, with accusations that owner Jeff Bezos directly influenced the controversial move just days before the 2024 election.
The Post’s editorial board had already drafted an endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris when the announcement came that the paper would cease its decades-long practice of presidential endorsements, according to sources familiar with the situation. The endorsement was never presented for consideration.
Publisher Will Lewis maintains that he, not Bezos, made the final decision, stating that he “does not believe in presidential endorsements.” However, multiple sources indicate the decision came after Bezos expressed reservations during a meeting in Miami.
The timing has raised questions about potential business motivations. Bezos, who purchased the Post in 2013 for $250 million, also owns Blue Origin, an aerospace company with significant federal government contracts. Former Post executive editor Marty Baron called the decision an act of “cowardice,” suggesting Bezos’s commercial interests may have played a role.
Adding to the controversy, executives from Blue Origin reportedly met with former President Donald Trump on the same day as the non-endorsement announcement. This meeting has sparked accusations of a potential “quid pro quo” arrangement, though no evidence has been presented to support these claims.
The Post has historically played a significant role in presidential elections, having endorsed candidates consistently since 1976. Legendary Post journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein issued an unusual public criticism of the decision, citing concerns about democratic values.
The announcement has triggered a wave of subscription cancellations, which could impact the newsroom’s operations.
The decision follows a broader trend among major U.S. newspapers. The Los Angeles Times and The New York Times have made similar moves to scale back presidential endorsements, though other prominent papers like the Philadelphia Enquirer and Houston Chronicle have maintained the practice, endorsing Harris for the 2024 election.
Robert Kagan, a veteran columnist and editor-at-large in the opinion section of the Washington Post, stepped down in protest, while eleven Washington Post columnists collaborated on an article denouncing the decision. Frustrated readers and sources inundated the email accounts of several staff members with their grievances.
The announcement represents the first time since 1988 that the Post will not endorse a presidential candidate.
Concurrent with the Post’s announcement, the Los Angeles Times revealed it would not endorse a presidential candidate for the first time since 2008. This decision led to immediate repercussions within the organization, including the resignation of editorials editor Mariel Garza.
“I am resigning because I want to make it clear that I am not okay with us being silent,” Garza told the Columbia Journalism Review.
The Los Angeles Times Guild Unit Council addressed concerned readers, stating, “That subscription underwrites the salaries of hundreds of journalists in our newsroom. Our member-journalists work every day to keep readers informed during these tumultuous times.”
The decisions by both newspapers reflect a broader trend among major U.S. newspaper chains to scale back presidential endorsements. The New York Times and Philadelphia Inquirer, however, maintain their endorsement traditions.
The Los Angeles Times situation gained additional complexity when Nika Soon-Shiong, daughter of the paper’s owner Patrick Soon-Shiong, suggested the decision was related to Vice President Harris’s stance on the Gaza war, though the newspaper disputed this characterization.
Lewis concluded his announcement by emphasizing the Post’s role, stating that their job as the newspaper of the capital city of the most important country in the world is to be independent.
Jeff Bezos, the founder and executive chairman of Amazon, owns The Washington Post through Nash Holdings LLC, which purchased the newspaper from the Graham family in 2013 for $250 million. Prior to Bezos’s acquisition, The Washington Post had been owned by the Graham family for 80 years.