Jeff Bezos, the owner of The Washington Post and founder of Amazon, defended the newspaper’s decision to stop endorsing presidential candidates. He stated that presidential endorsements do not sway election outcomes and can create perceptions of bias, leading to the decision to end them. Bezos’s comments came after the Post’s publisher announced the end of presidential endorsements, which sparked backlash and resulted in a loss of digital subscribers. Bezos denied claims that the decision was influenced by political figures such as Vice President Kamala Harris or former President Donald Trump. He emphasized the importance of maintaining the newspaper’s credibility and independence in the modern media landscape. Bezos also acknowledged that the decision could have been handled better, but insisted that it was a principled one. The move to end endorsements came in the context of the Post’s desire to remain commercially competitive and culturally relevant in an era dominated by social media and podcasts. Some editorial board members resigned in protest, believing it was imperative for the newspaper to formally back Harris over Trump, who they viewed as a threat to American democracy and the free press. The Post’s decision not to endorse a candidate followed a similar move by the Los Angeles Times, adding to the growing trend of newspapers abstaining from endorsing presidential candidates in the current political climate.
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