Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos announced plans Wednesday to overhaul the left-leaning publication’s opinion pages to better reflect American values like “personal liberties and “free markets” — leading the section’s editor to quit.
The Amazon billionaire, who killed an endorsement of former Vice President Kamala Harris a few weeks before the election, said he offered Opinion Editor David Shipley the opportunity to “lead this new chapter.”
“I suggested to him that if the answer wasn’t ‘hell yes,’ then it had to be ‘no,’” Bezos wrote in a lengthy post on X about the “significant change” in direction.
“After careful consideration, David decided to step away. This is a significant shift, it won’t be easy, and it will require 100% commitment — I respect his decision.”
Jeff Bezos bought the Washington Post in 2013. APThe tech titan, who attended President Trump’s inauguration, also laid out his vision for what he expects from the new opinion editor for the venerable publication he bought in 2013.
“We are going to be writing every day in support and defense of two pillars: personal liberties and free markets. We’ll cover other topics too of course, but viewpoints opposing those pillars will be left to be published by others,” Bezos said.
“I am of America and for America, and proud to be so. Our country did not get here by being typical. And a big part of America’s success has been freedom in the economic realm and everywhere else. Freedom is ethical — it minimizes coercion — and practical — it drives creativity, invention, and prosperity.”
David Shipley, a former Clinton speechwriter, joined the Washington Post in 2022. The Washington Post via Getty ImagesBezos closed by writing: “I’m confident that free markets and personal liberties are right for America. I also believe these viewpoints are underserved in the current market of ideas and news opinion. I’m excited for us together to fill that void.”
Shipley confirmed that he was leaving the paper in an email obtained by New York Times reporter Ben Mullin.
“It is with both sadness and gratitude that I write to let you know that I have decided to leave The Post,” he wrote.
“This is a conclusion I reached after reflection on how I can best move forward in the profession I love.”
The Post has reached out to Shipley and the Washington Post for comment.
Bezos said he was looking for a new opinion editor who would emphasize advocacy for “personal liberties and free markets.” Getty Images for The New York TimesShipley joined the Washington Post in 2022 after at stints the New Republic, Bloomberg and the New York Times.
The opinion section has been wracked by defections since Bezos decided to kill the Harris endorsement.
The Washington Post newsroom has been in turmoil since Bezos blocked an endorsement of Kamala Harris. AFP via Getty ImagesIt was the first time the paper that broke the Watergate scandal did not endorse a candidate for president since 1976.
Those who have since left include editorial board members Robert Kagan and Michele Norris, as well as several high-profile reporters.
Additionally, the decision prompted over 250,000 digital subscribers to cancel their subscriptions.
David Shipley is seen at far left alongside then-executive editor Sally Buzbee (far right) and then-publisher and CEO Fred Ryan in June 2023. The Washington Post via Getty ImagesLast month, more than 400 staffers penned a letter to Bezos seeking clarity on the newspaper’s direction and expressing concerns over recent leadership changes and editorial decisions.
Even before the Harris endorsement controversy, their was turmoil in the newsroom over Bezos naming Will Lewis as publisher and CEO.
Executive editor Sally Buzbee resigned last June following clashes with Lewis over newsroom restructuring.
