Eugene Robinson on Bezos Making a Shift in WaPo’s Opinion Section: ‘I Think It’s a Mistake Journalistically’

SCARBOROUGH Washington Post owner ░░░░░░░░ Amazon founder Jeff Bezos ░░░░░░░░ course announced a major ░░░░░░░░ in the paper s ░░░░░░░░ section In a social ░░░░░░░░ post of course you ░░░░░░░░ saw this the tech ░░░░░░░░ outlined dramatic changes that ░░░░░░░░ focus on personal liberties ░░░░░░░░ free markets still not ░░░░░░░░ exactly what personal liberties ░░░░░░░░ defined by in his ░░░░░░░░ and won t publish ░░░░░░░░ that opposes those ideas ░░░░░░░░ billionaire also revealed he ░░░░░░░░ the section s editor ░░░░░░░░ Shipley a chance to ░░░░░░░░ in this new chapter ░░░░░░░░ Shipley decided to step ░░░░░░░░ He s been running ░░░░░░░░ section since 2022 Let ░░░░░░░░ bring in to talk ░░░░░░░░ this and much more ░░░░░░░░ Prize winning columnist and ░░░░░░░░ editor of The Washington ░░░░░░░░ Eugene Robinson Gene let ░░░░░░░░ just I m curious ░░░░░░░░ your thought is You ░░░░░░░░ been connected with The ░░░░░░░░ Post Pulitzer Prize winner ░░░░░░░░ ve had Pulitzer Prize ░░░░░░░░ leave the Post over ░░░░░░░░ past several months and ░░░░░░░░ continues I m just ░░░░░░░░ what your thought is ░░░░░░░░ this directive coming down ░░░░░░░░ a newspaper whose tough ░░░░░░░░ literally redefined modern journalism ░░░░░░░░ America over the past ░░░░░░░░ century Robinson Well it ░░░░░░░░ a very good question ░░░░░░░░ of all Joe you ░░░░░░░░ as much about this ░░░░░░░░ I do in terms ░░░░░░░░ what this you know ░░░░░░░░ exactly Jeff means It ░░░░░░░░ not as if we ░░░░░░░░ a whole lot of ░░░░░░░░ or in fact any ░░░░░░░░ that oppose free markets ░░░░░░░░ personal liberties Right We ░░░░░░░░ t I cannot recall ░░░░░░░░ ever publishing a piece ░░░░░░░░ the headline The joy ░░░░░░░░ socialism That s not ░░░░░░░░ So what does this ░░░░░░░░ Because he describes it ░░░░░░░░ a significant shift You ░░░░░░░░ what was intolerable to ░░░░░░░░ Shipley and is intolerable ░░░░░░░░ a lot of us ░░░░░░░░ is this idea that ░░░░░░░░ re going to be ░░░░░░░░ re going to be ░░░░░░░░ that there will be ░░░░░░░░ views who knows what ░░░░░░░░ are that will no ░░░░░░░░ be published in the ░░░░░░░░ Post s opinion pages ░░░░░░░░ are off limits And ░░░░░░░░ is not the way ░░░░░░░░ ve ever functioned That ░░░░░░░░ not the tradition of ░░░░░░░░ page under David Shipley ░░░░░░░░ his predecessors Fred Hyatt ░░░░░░░░ Meg Greenfield going back ░░░░░░░░ entire time I ve ░░░░░░░░ at the Washington Post ░░░░░░░░ just to be very ░░░░░░░░ I mean for many ░░░░░░░░ us this is to ░░░░░░░░ Elon Musk this is ░░░░░░░░ fork in the road ░░░░░░░░ because these kinds of ░░░░░░░░ whatever they turn out ░░░░░░░░ be are not what ░░░░░░░░ thought we had signed ░░░░░░░░ for This is not ░░░░░░░░ way we have worked ░░░░░░░░ produce what is I ░░░░░░░░ objectively the best opinion ░░░░░░░░ in American journalism and ░░░░░░░░ would I would defend ░░░░░░░░ And I think it ░░░░░░░░ a I think it ░░░░░░░░ a mistake journalistically I ░░░░░░░░ it s a mistake ░░░░░░░░ a business proposition But ░░░░░░░░ know it leaves us ░░░░░░░░ choices and decisions to ░░░░░░░░ about our futures.”