In what he labeled the “hard truth,” Jeff Bezos spoke out in a lengthy op-ed on the Washington Post’s decision to block an endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris that sent many of the newspaper’s staff into a state of rage and resulted in more than 200,000 subscription cancelations.

The hard truth Bezos spoke of as he called for a higher standard is that Americans don’t trust the news media and that when it comes to trust and reputation, the media industry can be found “near the very bottom, often just above Congress.”

“We must be accurate, and we must be believed to be accurate. It’s a bitter pill to swallow, but we are failing on the second requirement,” he insisted. “Most people believe the media is biased. Anyone who doesn’t see this is paying scant attention to reality, and those who fight reality lose. Reality is an undefeated champion.”

“It would be easy to blame others for our long and continuing fall in credibility (and, therefore, decline in impact), but a victim mentality will not help,” Bezos continued. “Complaining is not a strategy. We must work harder to control what we can control to increase our credibility.”

NEW: Jeff Bezos rips the band-aid off, blasts his own newspaper’s credibility and the victim mentality.

Based.

The statement comes after Bezos refused to allow The Washington Post to make a presidential endorsement.

“Most people believe the media is biased. Anyone who doesn’t… pic.twitter.com/t50KtRkNGi

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) October 29, 2024

The billionaire owner explained that presidential endorsements “do nothing to tip the scales of an election,” before adding: “What presidential endorsements actually do is create a perception of bias. A perception of non-independence. Ending them is a principled decision, and it’s the right one.”

“I would also like to be clear that no quid pro quo of any kind is at work here,” Bezos said. “Neither campaign nor candidate was consulted or informed at any level or in any way about this decision. It was made entirely internally.”

He also noted that a scheduled meeting between Dave Limp, the chief executive of one of his companies, Blue Origin, and Trump on the day of the announcement had no connection to the decision.

In taking on the issue of credibility, Bezos stressed there was a time in the 1990s when the Washington Post “achieved 80 percent household penetration in the D.C. metro area.” It was also clear the emergence of X under Elon Musk and the Joe Rogan podcast interview with Donald Trump is striking a nerve.

“Lack of credibility isn’t unique to The Post. Our brethren newspapers have the same issue. And it’s a problem not only for media but also for the nation,” he said. “Many people are turning to off-the-cuff podcasts, inaccurate social media posts, and other unverified news sources, which can quickly spread misinformation and deepen divisions. The Washington Post and the New York Times win prizes, but increasingly we talk only to a certain elite. More and more, we talk to ourselves.”

“While I do not and will not push my personal interest, I will also not allow this paper to stay on autopilot and fade into irrelevance — overtaken by unresearched podcasts and social media barbs — not without a fight,” Bezos concluded. “It’s too important. The stakes are too high. Now more than ever the world needs a credible, trusted, independent voice, and where better for that voice to originate than the capital city of the most important country in the world?”

“To win this fight, we will have to exercise new muscles,” he said. “Some changes will be a return to the past, and some will be new inventions. Criticism will be part and parcel of anything new, of course. This is the way of the world. None of this will be easy, but it will be worth it. I am so grateful to be part of this endeavor. Many of the finest journalists you’ll find anywhere work at The Washington Post, and they work painstakingly every day to get to the truth. They deserve to be believed.”

Here’s a quick sampling of responses to the story, as seen on the social media platform X:

That comment section is wild. pic.twitter.com/L793DaoVPu

— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) October 29, 2024

I think he’s too late. Saying you need to build credibility is great, but it doesn’t bring credibility by saying it.

Maligning social media and podcasts as misinformation while trying to address his own credibility issue, is not going to go unnoticed.

WaPo will never again take…

— Kevin M. Nelson (@KevinMNelsonUSA) October 29, 2024

A nice attempt at remediation for the many sins of journalists in his employ.

It’s really not enough. pic.twitter.com/tyMYOy6Gc2

— Fight With Memes (@fightwithmemes) October 29, 2024

Bezos wants to act like he now has integrity.

Where was this integrity years ago?

All smoke and mirrors, he knows Trump is likely to win.

— JDO X (@JDOPost) October 29, 2024

Jeff Bezos is right. The media’s credibility is in free fall, and the victim mentality won’t save it. Endorsements aren’t endorsements—they’re a liability. It’s time for journalists to stop playing politics and start reporting the truth. Maybe then, they’ll earn back some trust.

— Jane Adams (@iLoveJaneAdams) October 29, 2024

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Tom Tillison

Senior Staff Writer
Tom@bizpacreview.com

The longest-tenured writer at BizPac Review, Tom grew up in Maryland before moving to Central Florida as a young teen. It is in the Sunshine State that he honed both his passion for politics and his writing skills.

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