For the first time in 36 years, The Washington Post did not endorse any of the US presidential candidates
The Washington Post has announced its decision not to endorse any candidate in the upcoming US presidential election, an unprecedented step in the newspaper’s history. This year, The Washington Post decided to break with a tradition that had lasted for over 36 years by ceasing to make public statements of support for a particular candidate, even though it had previously supported Donald Trump’s opponents. The decision was made 11 days before the vote, which caused a significant outcry among employees and the public.
According to The New York Times, the editorial staff had already prepared a text in which they planned to support Kamala Harris’ candidacy for the presidential election. However, at the last minute, the newspaper’s owner and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos personally decided not to publish this text, which caused mixed reactions in the media.
Some of the newspaper’s staff expressed their dissatisfaction, including long-time columnist Robert Kagan, who resigned in protest. Kagan, along with a number of other members of the editorial staff, publicly criticised the decision. Moreover, a group of 11 Washington Post columnists signed an open letter condemning the newspaper’s refusal to endorse candidates.
The Post’s CEO, Will Lewis, explained that the editorial leadership had decided to return to the original neutral stance that the newspaper had taken in its early years. He added that although The Washington Post has traditionally supported political candidates in previous elections, it is now abandoning this practice to focus on objective journalism without reference to political sympathies.
‘The newspaper is returning to its roots and will not endorse any candidate in the presidential election, this time or in the future,’ Lewis said in a note to the editor.
This decision came as a surprise to many staffers, as the publication has repeatedly issued statements in support of Donald Trump’s opponents during previous elections and has already prepared a piece in support of Harris this year.
The move may indicate that The Washington Post wants to maintain its reputation as a neutral news source and build trust among readers.
