Jeff Bezos Assures Washington Post Staffers ‘Standards,’ ‘Ethics’ Won’t Change Under New Leadership
Jeff Bezos, owner of the Washington Post, assured staffers Tuesday that the “journalistic standards and ethics” at the newspaper will remain the same amid its editorial leadership overhaul and ongoing scrutiny over new CEO and publisher Will Lewis’ track record overseas.
In a memo to staffers obtained by TheWrap, under the subject line “Quality Journalism,” Bezos said that he “wanted to also weigh in directly” on the situation, as negative stories continue circulating about Lewis, soon-to-be executive editor Robert Winnett and their work at The Sunday Times that in part relied on stolen phone records, among other ethical quagmires.
Bezos promised that journalistic ethics will not be compromised, adding, however, “To be sure, it can’t be business as usual at The Post.”
New leadership, led by Lewis, was brought in to course-correct recent financial struggles for the newspaper, which lost $77 million in 2023.
“The world is evolving rapidly and we do need to change as a business,” Bezos continued. “With your support, we’ll do that and lead this great institution into the future.”
“You have my full commitment on maintaining the quality, ethics and standards we all believe in,” Bezos added.
The Post has been embroiled in scandal since Will Lewis announced he would be bringing on Winnett as executive editor. Additionally, weeks before the unexpected resignation of former Post executive editor Sally Buzbee earlier this month, they clashed on the paper’s coverage of his ties to Rupert Murdoch’s Prince Harry phone hacking scandal.
On Sunday, The Washington Post uncovered that Winnett was previously tied to a man who admitted to using illegal tactics to obtain confidential information for the Sunday Times. Winnett did not respond to a detailed inquiry from the Post regarding the allegations.
Read Bezos’ memo in full below:
Team – I know you’ve already heard this from Will, but I wanted to also weigh in directly: the journalistic standards and ethics at The Post will not change. To be sure, it can’t be business as usual at The Post. The world is evolving rapidly and we do need to change as a business. With your support, we’ll do that and lead this great institution into the future. But, as the newsroom leaders who’ve been shaping and guiding our coverage, you also know our standards at The Post have always been very high. That can’t change — and it won’t. You have my full commitment on maintaining the quality, ethics, and standards we all believe in. A huge thank you for continuing to do the work that makes us all proud, and makes this institution so important.
Jeff
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