{"id":2361077,"date":"2024-10-29T13:55:57","date_gmt":"2024-10-29T17:55:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/washington-post-owner-jeff-bezos-explains-the-hard-truth-about-why-paper-didnt-endorse-kamala-harris\/"},"modified":"2024-10-29T14:05:41","modified_gmt":"2024-10-29T18:05:41","slug":"washington-post-owner-jeff-bezos-explains-the-hard-truth-about-why-paper-didnt-endorse-kamala-harris","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/washington-post-owner-jeff-bezos-explains-the-hard-truth-about-why-paper-didnt-endorse-kamala-harris\/","title":{"rendered":"Washington Post Owner Jeff Bezos Explains &#8216;The Hard Truth&#8217; About Why Paper Didn&#8217;t Endorse Kamala Harris"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">32<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fwashington-post-owner-jeff-bezos-explains-the-hard-truth-about-why-paper-didnt-endorse-kamala-harris%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2361077&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>In a recent statement, Jeff Bezos, owner of the Washington Post, addressed the newspaper&#8217;s decision \u200cnot to\u200c endorse \u2062Vice President Kamala Harris, highlighting an ongoing crisis of trust in the media. He <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">cited \u2063survey findings indicating<\/a> that media organizations rank low \u2064in public trust, with a Gallup report revealing journalism&#8217;s deepening credibility\u200c issues. The Post\u2019s choice to withhold an\u2064 endorsement elicited backlash, especially from liberal \u200bgroups, but Bezos\u200d defended it \u2063as a principled stand for independence\u2063 rather than partisanship.<\/p>\n<p>Bezos emphasized\u2063 that presidential endorsements do not significantly influence <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-poll-shows-drive-to-recall-gov-newsom-gained-traction-in-past-2-weeks\/\" title=\"New Poll Shows Drive To Recall Gov. Newsom Gained Traction In Past 2 Weeks\">undecided voters<\/a> and can create perceptions\u2063 of \u2063bias. He clarified\u2062 that this decision \u2064was made internally without consulting either \u2064campaign, countering potential accusations of \u200bfavoritism. The Washington Post, facing subscription drops and increased criticism,\u2062 recognizes the need for a credible\u200c public voice\u200b and aims to rebuild trust in an\u2062 industry struggling\u200b with diminished outreach and engagement \u200dwith the broader public.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>Amazon founder and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos said Monday that the Post&rsquo;s decision not to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris is in response to a larger issue of media credibility being eroded.<\/p>\n<p>Bezos pointed to the recent surveys on trust and public reputation, with media institutions consistently ranking near the bottom, in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/opinions\/2024\/10\/28\/jeff-bezos-washington-post-trust\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the article<\/a> titled &ldquo;The hard truth: Americans don&rsquo;t trust the news media,&rdquo; published in the opinion section of the Post. This year, <a href=\"https:\/\/news.gallup.com\/poll\/651977\/americans-trust-media-remains-trend-low.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gallup<\/a> reported an even more dire verdict: Journalism now holds the lowest spot in American trust. Bezos argued media credibility has eroded not only because of perceived biases but also due to an industry tendency to ignore public perception.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/jeff-bezos-60m-investment-undercut-ron-desantis-florida-governor-signs-ban\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bezos<\/a> further explained that the most recent backlash surrounding the Post&rsquo;s&nbsp;decision <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/another-major-news-outlet-breaking-tradition-refusing-endorse-kamala\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">not to endorse Harris<\/a> only highlighted a growing issue that trust in the press depends on two pillars &mdash; the coverage being accurate and broad trust that it is accurate. The choice not to endorse provoked outrage across liberal circles, but as Bezos stated in a rare public response, the decision is rooted not in partisanship but in a commitment to genuine independence.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">&#128680;BREAKING: Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos speaks out after his paper refused to endorse Kamala Harris for President<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The hard truth: Americans don&rsquo;t trust the news media&rdquo; <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/3Dl8OaY4kj\">pic.twitter.com\/3Dl8OaY4kj<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/bennyjohnson\/status\/1851063244397466057?\">October 29, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><br \/>  &ldquo;Presidential endorsements do nothing to tip the scales of an election. No undecided voters in Pennsylvania are going to say, &lsquo;I&rsquo;m going with Newspaper A&rsquo;s endorsement.&rsquo; 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&rsquo;s the right one,&rdquo; Bezos wrote.<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"stnvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>Bezos acknowledged that this choice might appear strategically timed to favor one candidate over another, especially given a coincidental meeting between a top executive from Blue Origin, a company which Bezos also owns, and former President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/trump-thrills-christians-talks-end-times-joe-rogan-prophets-say\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Donald Trump<\/a> on the same day.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I would also like to be clear that no quid pro quo of any kind is at work here. Neither campaign nor candidate was consulted or informed at any level or in any way about this decision,&rdquo; he wrote to clarify that the decision was made internally.<\/p>\n<p>Even so, Bezos is acutely aware of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bidens-doe-funnels-50-million-to-green-energy-company-that-sources-materials-from-china\/\" title=\"Biden\u2019s DOE Funnels  Million to Green Energy Company That Sources Materials From China\">larger challenges facing<\/a> his newspaper and the industry at large, as the media&rsquo;s credibility problem is neither isolated nor new. &ldquo;Increasingly, we talk only to a certain elite,&rdquo; Bezos reflected, contrasting today&rsquo;s diminished public reach to the 80 percent household penetration WaPo achieved in the D.C. metro area during the 1990s.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;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,&rdquo; Bezos added.<\/p>\n<p>WaPo reportedly saw a drop of over 200,000 subscriptions after CEO and Publisher William Lewis announced that, for the first time in decades, the paper&rsquo;s editorial board will not endorse a presidential candidate, NPR reported. Following the decision, several staff members who supported Harris reportedly resigned in protest.<\/p>\n<div class=\"disclaimer\">\n<p><em>All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/union-membership-plummets-to-record-low\/\" title=\"Union Membership Plummets to Record Low\">legitimate news publisher<\/a> that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter&rsquo;s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/mailto:licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org\">licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<style> \t\t\t \t\t\t.insticator-unit.type-commenting{margin: 0 10px 25px 10px}@media screen and (max-width:1060px){#div-insticator-ad-cmt-1, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-2, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-3, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-4{margin: 0 auto 25px auto !important;}}#div-insticator-ad-cmt-1, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-2, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-3, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-4{height: 280px !important; width: 336px !important} \t\t<\/style>\n<div class=\"insticator-unit type-commenting\">\n<div class=\"insticator-ads\"> \t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t<script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\t\t\tif ( ! getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-1\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-2\"); \t\t\t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-1\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-2\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t<\/script> \t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"insticator-ads additional\"> \t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t<script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\t\t\tif ( ! getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-3\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-4\"); \t\t\t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-3\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-4\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t<\/script> \t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Amazon founder and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos stated on Monday that the Post&#8217;s choice not to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris reflects a broader concern about declining media credibility. He referenced recent trust surveys showing media organizations often rank low in public perception, as discussed in an article titled &#8220;The hard truth: Americans don\u2019t trust the news media&#8221; published in the Post&#8217;s opinion section. Gallup reported this year that journalism has reached its lowest level of trust among Americans. Bezos contended that this erosion of credibility stems from perceived biases and the industry&#8217;s neglect of public sentiment. He emphasized that the backlash against the Post\u2019s decision highlights a critical issue: trust in journalism relies on both accurate reporting and widespread belief in its accuracy. While some liberal groups expressed outrage over the lack of endorsement, Bezos clarified that this decision was made out of a commitment to true independence rather than partisanship.<\/p>\n<p>He argued that presidential endorsements do not significantly influence election outcomes, stating no undecided voters would choose based on a newspaper&#8217;s endorsement; instead, they create an impression of bias and lack of independence. Thus, he deemed ending them as a principled choice.<\/p>\n<p>Bezos acknowledged potential perceptions regarding timing related to his other business interests but stressed there was no collusion with any campaign regarding this decision. He recognized ongoing challenges for his newspaper and the industry at large, noting how today&#8217;s media landscape has shifted from reaching broad audiences to primarily engaging with elite circles compared to past decades when WaPo had significant household penetration in D.C.<\/p>\n<p>Following CEO William Lewis\u2019s announcement about not endorsing any presidential candidate for the first time in decades, WaPo reportedly lost over 200,000 subscriptions, with some staff members resigning in protest after supporting Harris<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2361078,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Jeff-Bezos.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[32292,32438,39035,32293],"class_list":["post-2361077","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-jeff-bezos","tag-kamala-harris","tag-political-endorsement","tag-washington-post"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Jeff-Bezos.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2361077","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2361077"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2361077\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2361078"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2361077"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2361077"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2361077"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}