Former Washington Post executive editor Marty Baron is blasting his former employer for not endorsing a candidate in this year’s presidential election. In a post on X, Baron wrote, “This is cowardice, with democracy as its casualty.”
He goes on to say that former President Donald Trump “will see this as an invitation to further intimidate” the paper’s owner, billionaire Jeff Bezos. Baron adds, “Disturbing spinelessness at an institution famed for courage.”
The Post announced Friday that for the first time in 36 years, it would not endorse presidential candidates this year or in the future.
Critics argue that the decision not to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris is an implicit endorsement of Trump, whom the paper called a a “unique and present danger” in a 2016 editorial.
Some Post employees said an editorial endorsing Harris had been drafted, but not approved for release.
Bezos reportedly made the call not to endorse anyone. Staffers have had a rocky relationship with Bezos since he bought the paper in 2013, with some expressing concerns over his restructuring of the paper’s culture and personnel.
The Washington Post Guild, which represents many of the paper’s employees, echoed these concerns, saying in a statement posted on X, “The message from our chief executive, Will Lewis — not from the Editorial Board itself — makes us concerned that management interfered with the work of our members in Editorial.”
The Guild added, “We are already seeing cancellations from once loyal readers. This decision undercuts the work of our members at a time when we should be building our readers’ trust, not losing it.”
Kate McManus ✉
Kate McManus is a New Jersey-based Newsmax writer who's spent more than two decades as a journalist.
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