Jeff Bezos reportedly killed the Washington Put up’s Kamala Harris endorsement

The Washington Put up’s editorial web page had drafted an endorsement of Kamala Harris for president when its proprietor, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, intervened to cancel its publication, The Washington Put up reviews. Instead, The Put up ran a weird column by its present writer (and former Rupert Murdoch henchman) Will Lewis, saying The Put up wouldn’t endorse anybody.

“We acknowledge that this will likely be learn in a variety of how, together with as a tacit endorsement of 1 candidate, or as a condemnation of one other, or as an abdication of accountability,” Lewis wrote. (It’s unclear who the “we” is right here. Lewis? Lewis and Bezos? Some secret third group?) “That’s inevitable. We don’t see it that method. We see it as in keeping with the values The Put up has at all times stood for and what we hope for in a frontrunner: character and braveness in service to the American ethic, veneration for the rule of legislation, and respect for human freedom in all its features.”

That is now the second American newspaper, after The Los Angeles Occasions, to kill a Harris endorsement on the proprietor’s behest. Occasions proprietor Patrick Quickly-Shiong equally blocked a deliberate endorsement, prompting the newspaper’s editorials editor to resign in protest.

The Put up’s union says it’s “deeply involved” that the paper would do that simply 11 days earlier than an “immensely consequential” election. “The message from our chief government, Will Lewis — not from the Editorial Board itself — makes us involved that administration has interfered with the work of our members in Editorial.” Readers are already canceling subscriptions, the assertion notes. Neoconservative scholar Robert Kagan resigned his place as editor-at-large, in line with Semafor’s Max Tani.

Two Washington Put up board members, Charles Lane and Stephen W. Stromberg, wrote the Harris endorsement, in line with The Columbia Journalism Evaluate. David Shipley, the editorial web page director, instructed workers the endorsement was “on observe, including that ‘that is clearly one thing our proprietor has an curiosity in,’” in line with The CJR. At present, Shipley instructed the board there could be no endorsement. That was adopted by Lewis’s peculiar editorial.

“That is cowardice, a second of darkness that can depart democracy as a casualty,” stated Marty Baron, the previous Washington Put up government editor, in a textual content message to The Put up. “Donald Trump will have a good time this as an invite to additional intimidate The Put up’s proprietor, Jeff Bezos (and different media homeowners). Historical past will mark a disturbing chapter of spinelessness at an establishment famed for braveness.”