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

RUSH TRANSCRIPT To stay ░░░░░░░░ the helm under the ░░░░░░░░ s new editorial direction ░░░░░░░░ s bring in right ░░░░░░░░ the former executive editor ░░░░░░░░ the Washington Post Marty ░░░░░░░░ Marty started in that ░░░░░░░░ in early 2013 months ░░░░░░░░ Bezos purchased the post ░░░░░░░░ he served through 2021 ░░░░░░░░ I mean most of ░░░░░░░░ when we saw this ░░░░░░░░ just said what the ░░░░░░░░ it is 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 ░░░░░░░░ Action You know Bezos ░░░░░░░░ that he s in ░░░░░░░░ of personal liberties Well ░░░░░░░░ course so am I ░░░░░░░░ that s why I ░░░░░░░░ in favor of free ░░░░░░░░ You know it s ░░░░░░░░ there in the First ░░░░░░░░ And news organizations have ░░░░░░░░ honored free expression by ░░░░░░░░ a variety of points ░░░░░░░░ view 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 of ░░░░░░░░ Washington Post And I ░░░░░░░░ a betrayal of the ░░░░░░░░ idea of free expression ░░░░░░░░ it actually in contrast ░░░░░░░░ how newspapers news organizations ░░░░░░░░ free expression with a ░░░░░░░░ of points of view ░░░░░░░░ actually dishonors free expression ░░░░░░░░ know which is the ░░░░░░░░ fundamental personal liberty of ░░░░░░░░ citizens New edict from ░░░░░░░░ Bezos to focus only ░░░░░░░░ personal liberty and free ░░░░░░░░ what did you take ░░░░░░░░ to mean In other ░░░░░░░░ if you re an ░░░░░░░░ ed columnist at the ░░░░░░░░ Post sitting down in ░░░░░░░░ of your laptop this ░░░░░░░░ what are you expected ░░░░░░░░ write about I think ░░░░░░░░ sends a very disturbing ░░░░░░░░ to the very good ░░░░░░░░ at the at the ░░░░░░░░ Post that if they ░░░░░░░░ not in line with ░░░░░░░░ particular point of view ░░░░░░░░ they don t share ░░░░░░░░ view on all of ░░░░░░░░ issues that they can ░░░░░░░░ take a hike And ░░░░░░░░ hike because the signal ░░░░░░░░ that they re not ░░░░░░░░ there Marty you ve ░░░░░░░░ quite an accomplished career ░░░░░░░░ herald Boston globe Washington ░░░░░░░░ you know more than ░░░░░░░░ people know that the ░░░░░░░░ page in the op ░░░░░░░░ page basically but the ░░░░░░░░ page specifically belongs to ░░░░░░░░ publisher If the publisher ░░░░░░░░ his views on the ░░░░░░░░ on the op ed ░░░░░░░░ editorial page he will ░░░░░░░░ it But what does ░░░░░░░░ do in your sense ░░░░░░░░ for the post the ░░░░░░░░ at the post What ░░░░░░░░ such behavior do that ░░░░░░░░ exhibited yesterday due to ░░░░░░░░ morale of the reportorial ░░░░░░░░ Well I think the ░░░░░░░░ the morale is definitely ░░░░░░░░ to the tank It ░░░░░░░░ true that the editorials ░░░░░░░░ to the publisher to ░░░░░░░░ owner They can use ░░░░░░░░ editorials but to say ░░░░░░░░ the entire opinion page ░░░░░░░░ to the owner as ░░░░░░░░ when historically those opinion ░░░░░░░░ have been available for ░░░░░░░░ variety of Points of ░░░░░░░░ You know Bezos himself ░░░░░░░░ said over time that ░░░░░░░░ pages should have a ░░░░░░░░ of views and I ░░░░░░░░ agree with them That ░░░░░░░░ the nature of democracy ░░░░░░░░ that we have vigorous ░░░░░░░░ debate over policies But ░░░░░░░░ is really an anti ░░░░░░░░ move It says that ░░░░░░░░ the only the only ░░░░░░░░ that is permitted here ░░░░░░░░ my opinion And you ░░░░░░░░ to share that And ░░░░░░░░ s no room for ░░░░░░░░ on my pages on ░░░░░░░░ our