"Jeff bezos tanked button" - Internet reacts to Washington Post losing over 200,000 subscribers over presidential endorsement row
The Washington Post lost over 200,000 subscribers recently after its decision to not endorse a presidential candidate for the upcoming election. On Friday, October 25, 2024, the publication, citing two people familiar with the event, reported that an article endorsing Democratic candidate Kamala Harris was written but not published.
The report further detailed that its owner, Jeff Bezos, made the decision. According to Monday's report by NPR, citing two employees at the paper with knowledge of internal affairs, in the wake of the decision, several members of its editorial board resigned and over 200,000 subscribers (both digital and print) canceled.
As news of the development spread, internet users were quick to react. One criticized Bezos' move, stating:
"Jeff Bezos tanked button."
Many stated that the move was a "violation of free speech" and "illegal censorship." Here are some comments seen on X:
"this is illegal censorship btw," another added.
"jeff did a literal violation of free speech- you’re allowed to endorse whoever you want," one user commented.
"The fact that one person is single-handedly capable of doing that is a symptom of a fallen world," a person wrote.
Others stated that it was time to boycott Amazon, which Bezos founded.
"Regardless of how you feel about the US election and candidates, the fact that a single billionaire prevents a news outlet from expressing their opinions is harrowing," one wrote.
"I knew I was right when I said I was boycotting Amazon years ago," another remarked.
"Let's do Amazon too," a user stated.
Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos doubled down on his decision of non-endorsement, calls it "principled" and "right"
The Washington Post's decision to not endorse a candidate came as a shock, as the publication is known for its journalism since reporting on the Watergate scandal and has endorsed a candidate since 1976 (they endorsed Jimmy Carter).
As news spread, social media websites were flooded with posts showing screenshots of netizens canceling their subscriptions. Many even referenced the Washington Post's slogan "Democracy Dies in Darkness" to highlight the hypocrisy in its non-endorsement.
According to NPR's report, the total cancellations made up about 8% of the paper’s total circulation.
Following backlash, Jeff Bezos penned an opinion piece in the newspaper justifying his decision, stating he was worried people had lost trust in the media and were getting their information from social media. He explained that endorsements don't "tip the scales of an election, adding:
"No undecided voters in Pennsylvania are going to say: ‘I’m going with Newspaper A’s endorsement.’ None. 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."
However, the move continues to garner harsh criticism online. Former Washington Post editorial board members David Hoffman and Molly Roberts both stepped down from their positions on Monday. Hoffman reasoned that "we face a very real threat of autocracy in the candidacy of Donald Trump," and he found it "untenable and unconscionable" that the publication "lost (its) voice at this perilous moment."
Roberts, in her letter of resignation, too, citied the non-endorsement as a cause. Simiarly, Michele Norris, an opinion contributor with the publication, resigned from her position, calling the move a "terrible mistake." Editor-at-large Robert Kagan, too, left for the same reason.
Additionally, Post columnists and reporters, Pulitzer Prize winner Eugene Robinson, Ruth Marcus, Bob Woodward, and Carl Bernstein all slammed the move.
The US Presidential elections are scheduled for November 5, 2024.