Marty Baron: What Jeff Bezos Is Doing ‘Dishonors Free Expression’ and Is ‘Anti-Democratic in Nature’

SCARBOROUGH Let s bring ░░░░░░░░ right now the former ░░░░░░░░ editor of The Washington ░░░░░░░░ Marty Baron Marty started ░░░░░░░░ that position in early ░░░░░░░░ months before Bezos purchased ░░░░░░░░ Post and he served ░░░░░░░░ 2021 Marty I mean ░░░░░░░░ of us when we ░░░░░░░░ this we just said ░░░░░░░░ the hell It s ░░░░░░░░ something that we ve ░░░░░░░░ heard I mean it ░░░░░░░░ obviously opinion pages can ░░░░░░░░ their own direction but ░░░░░░░░ say we don t ░░░░░░░░ opposing viewpoints seems shocking ░░░░░░░░ best What was your ░░░░░░░░ BARON Well I was ░░░░░░░░ as well You know ░░░░░░░░ said that he s ░░░░░░░░ favor of personal liberties ░░░░░░░░ of course so am ░░░░░░░░ And that s why ░░░░░░░░ m in favor of ░░░░░░░░ expression You know it ░░░░░░░░ right there in the ░░░░░░░░ Amendment And news organizations ░░░░░░░░ always honored free expression ░░░░░░░░ having a variety of ░░░░░░░░ of view on their ░░░░░░░░ pages But Bezos now ░░░░░░░░ just shutting that down ░░░░░░░░ he s saying that ░░░░░░░░ his point of view ░░░░░░░░ going to be represented ░░░░░░░░ those pages And that ░░░░░░░░ is a betrayal of ░░░░░░░░ heritage of The Washington ░░░░░░░░ and I think a ░░░░░░░░ of the very idea ░░░░░░░░ free expression And it ░░░░░░░░ can contrast how newspapers ░░░░░░░░ organizations honored free expression ░░░░░░░░ a variety of points ░░░░░░░░ view It actually dishonors ░░░░░░░░ expression you know which ░░░░░░░░ the most fundamental personal ░░░░░░░░ of American citizens GEIST ░░░░░░░░ Marty as you heard ░░░░░░░░ new edict from Jeff ░░░░░░░░ to focus only on ░░░░░░░░ liberty and free markets ░░░░░░░░ did you take that ░░░░░░░░ mean In other words ░░░░░░░░ you re an op ░░░░░░░░ columnist The Washington Post ░░░░░░░░ down in front of ░░░░░░░░ laptop this morning what ░░░░░░░░ you expected to write ░░░░░░░░ BARON Well that s ░░░░░░░░ good question I think ░░░░░░░░ sends a very disturbing ░░░░░░░░ to the very good ░░░░░░░░ at The Washington Post ░░░░░░░░ if they are not ░░░░░░░░ line with his particular ░░░░░░░░ of view if they ░░░░░░░░ t share his view ░░░░░░░░ all of these issues ░░░░░░░░ they can go take ░░░░░░░░ hike And you know ░░░░░░░░ some of them will ░░░░░░░░ a hike because the ░░░░░░░░ is that they re ░░░░░░░░ welcome there BARNICLE Marty ░░░░░░░░ ve had quite an ░░░░░░░░ career Miami The Herald ░░░░░░░░ Globe Washington Post you ░░░░░░░░ more than most people ░░░░░░░░ that the editorial page ░░░░░░░░ the op ed page ░░░░░░░░ but the editorial page ░░░░░░░░ belongs to the publisher ░░░░░░░░ the publisher wants his ░░░░░░░░ on the editorial on ░░░░░░░░ op ed page editorial ░░░░░░░░ he will get it ░░░░░░░░ what does it do ░░░░░░░░ your sense here for ░░░░░░░░ Post the staff at ░░░░░░░░ Post what does such ░░░░░░░░ do that Bezos exhibited ░░░░░░░░ do to the morale ░░░░░░░░ the repertorial staff BARON ░░░░░░░░ I think the morale ░░░░░░░░ definitely gone to the ░░░░░░░░ It s true that ░░░░░░░░ editorials belong to the ░░░░░░░░ to the owner They ░░░░░░░░ use the editorials But ░░░░░░░░ say that the entire ░░░░░░░░ page belongs to the ░░░░░░░░ as well when historically ░░░░░░░░ opinion pages have been ░░░░░░░░ for a variety of ░░░░░░░░ of view you know ░░░░░░░░ himself has said over ░░░░░░░░ that those pages should ░░░░░░░░ a variety of views ░░░░░░░░ I totally agree with ░░░░░░░░ That s the nature ░░░░░░░░ democracy is that we ░░░░░░░░ vigorous vigorous debate over ░░░░░░░░ But this is really ░░░░░░░░ anti democratic move It ░░░░░░░░ that no the only ░░░░░░░░ only opinion that is ░░░░░░░░ here is my opinion ░░░░░░░░ you have to share ░░░░░░░░ And there s no ░░░░░░░░ for you on my ░░░░░░░░ on on our site ░░░░░░░░ you have an opposing ░░░░░░░░ of view That is ░░░░░░░░ democratic in nature.”