The infamous Washington Post reporters who uncovered Watergate have slammed the paper’s decision not to endorse a presidential candidate.
The Washington Post announced on Friday that it would not back a presidential candidate, marking the first time in 36 years that the left-leaning paper has declined to do so.
Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein later released a joint statement to CNN in which they expressed their disappointment in the Post’s decision.
It said: ‘We respect the traditional independence of the editorial page, but this decision 11 days out from the 2024 presidential election ignores the Washington Post’s own overwhelming reportorial evidence on the threat Donald Trump poses to democracy.
Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, the famous Washington Post reporters who uncovered Watergate, slammed the paper’s decision not to endorse a presidential candidate
‘Under Jeff Bezos’s ownership, the Washington Post’s news operation has used its abundant resources to rigorously investigate the danger and damage a second Trump presidency could cause to the future of American democracy.
‘That makes this decision even more surprising and disappointing, especially this late in the electoral process.’
Woodward and Bernstein became legends in the world of journalism after they broke Watergate – a sordid political scandal that involved the Nixon administration and his re-election campaign.
Thanks to the pair’s investigative reporting, the true extent of Watergate was uncovered, and Nixon was ultimately forced to resign from office.
‘We respect the traditional independence of the editorial page, but this decision 11 days out from the 2024 presidential election ignores the Washington Post’s own overwhelming reportorial evidence on the threat Donald Trump poses to democracy,’ Woodward and Bernstein wrote in a statement
Woodward and Bernstein became legends in the world of journalism after they exposed Watergate – a sordid political scandal that involved the Nixon administration and his re-election campaign
Woodward and Bernstein aren’t the only ones who are frustrated with the Post’s decision, though.
Many of the outlet’s liberal readers are now pledging to cancel their subscriptions.
The paper’s page editor David Shipley had already approved an endorsement of Harris and had reportedly told colleagues that it was being reviewed by the paper’s owner Jeff Bezos, according to NPR.
But on Friday CEO Will Lewis published an op-ed that the paper is returning to its ‘roots of not endorsing presidential candidates.’
It comes just days after The Los Angeles Times announced it would also not be endorsing anyone for the November presidential elections.
The Washington Post has announced it will not endorse a presidential candidate, sparking fury among its liberal readers who are pledging to cancel their subscriptions to the paper
The paper’s page editor David Shipley had already approved an endorsement of Harris
The paper’s staff learned of the decision from page editor Shipley in a ‘tense’ meeting on Friday, according to NPR.
Shipley told staff he owned the decision and it was meant to create ‘independent space’ where the paper does not tell people how to vote.
However, The Post itself has reported that it was Bezos who made the decision to not endorse a presidential candidate.
Columnist Robert Kagan, a conservative Trump critic, resigned from his position in the editorial board after the decision emerged.
The response from the Post’s staff has been ‘uniformly outraged,’ according to NPR’s David Folkenflik.
The Washington Post Guild issued a statement denouncing the move.
‘We are deeply concerned that The Washington Post would make the decision to no longer endorse presidential candidates, especially a mere 11 days ahead of an immensely consequential election,’ it read.
Many liberals have pledged to cancel their subscriptions to the paper on Friday
‘The role of an Editorial Board is to do just this: to share opinions on the news impacting our society and culture and endorse candidates to help guide readers… The message from our chief executive, Will Lewis — not from the Editorial Board itself — makes us concerned that management interfered with the work of our members in Editorial
‘According to our own reporters and Guild members, an endorsement for Harris was already drafted, and the decision to not to publish was made by The Post’s owner, Jeff Bezos.
‘We are already seeing cancellations from once loyal readers. This decision undercuts the work of our members at a time when we should be building our readers’ trust, not losing it.’
Former Post executive editor Martin Baron said: ‘This is cowardice, a moment of darkness that will leave democracy as a casualty. Donald Trump will celebrate this as an invitation to further intimidate The Post’s owner, Jeff Bezos (and other media owners).
‘History will mark a disturbing chapter of spinelessness at an institution famed for courage.’
The page editor had reportedly told colleagues that it was being reviewed by the paper’s owner Jeff Bezos. The Post itself has reported that it was Bezos who made the decision to not endorse a presidential candidate
Columnist Robert Kagan, a conservative Trump critic, resigned from his position in the editorial board after the decision emerged
The Post’s senior political correspondent Ashley Parker simply said, ‘Welp, that’s certainly a new type of October Surprise.’
The post began endorsing presidential candidates in 1976 after it broke the Watergate scandal and publicly backed Democrat Jimmy Carter – ‘for understandable reasons at the time,’ the paper said.
However, it declined to make an endorsement in 1988 between George H.W. Bush and Michael Dukakis.
All of its endorsements since Carter have been Democrats.
In his op-ed, CEO Lewis added: In his op-ed, CEO Lewis said: ‘We recognize that this will be read in a range of ways, including as a tacit endorsement of one candidate, or as a condemnation of another, or as an abdication of responsibility.
The Washington Post Guild issued a statement denouncing the move
The Post’s senior political correspondent Ashley Parker simply said, ‘Welp, that’s certainly a new type of October Surprise’
Former Post executive editor Martin Baron responded to the decision on X
Democrats such as Vermont senator Bernie Sanders have also expressed outrage at the Post’s decision
‘We don’t see it that way. We see it as consistent with the values The Post has always stood for and what we hope for in a leader: character and courage in service to the American ethic, veneration for the rule of law, and respect for human freedom in all its aspects.’
Democrats such as Vermont senator Bernie Sanders have also expressed outrage at the Post’s decision.
‘This is what Oligarchy is about,’ Sanders said in X.
‘Jeff Bezos, the 2nd wealthiest person in the world and the owner of the Washington Post, overrides his editorial board and refuses to endorse Kamala. Clearly, he is afraid of antagonizing Trump and losing Amazon’s federal contracts. Pathetic.’
Earlier this week, LA Times billionaire owner Dr Patrick Soon-Shiong blocked a planned endorsement of Harris, leading to the resignation of the paper’s editorials editor.
Los Angeles Times editors were asked to fairly analyze both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, but chose to say nothing instead, according to the paper’s owner Dr Pat Soon-Shiong
The editorial editor of the LA Times Mariel Garza has stepped down after the billionaire owner reportedly blocked its editorial board from endorsing Kamala Harris for president
Mariel Garza told the Columbia Journalism Review in an interview that she resigned because the Times was remaining silent on the contest in ‘dangerous times’.
‘I am resigning because I want to make it clear that I am not OK with us being silent,’ Garza said. ‘In dangerous times, honest people need to stand up. This is how I’m standing up.’
In a post on the social media platform X that did not directly mention the resignation, owner Soon-Shiong said the board was asked to do a factual analysis of the policies of Harris and Republican former President Trump during their time at the White House.
Soon-Shiong, who bought the paper in 2018, said the board ‘chose to remain silent and I accepted their decision.’
