Bezos backs new Washington Post editor in wake of staff backlash

Jeff Bezos is backing the new CEO of The Washington Post and the editor he chose to lead its newsroom amid widespread internal backlash among staff over the two hires.

Bezos, the billionaire tech mogul who has owned the Post since 2013, wrote to top editors on Tuesday expressing support for CEO Will Lewis and his strategy for leading the company into the coming election.

“I know you’ve already heard this from Will, but I wanted to also weigh in directly: the journalistic standards and ethics at The Post will not change,” Bezos wrote in his note, which was obtained by The Hill. “To be sure, it can’t be business as usual at The Post. The world is evolving rapidly and we do need to change as a business.”

Lewis is facing widespread backlash following reports that he ousted former executive editor Sally Buzbee over a planned reorganization and criticism over scandals involving his actions at previous jobs that have been reported by his own newsroom.

Over the weekend, the Post published an extensive story raising concerns over the ethics of Robert Winnett, whom Lewis hired to replace Buzbee after the 2024 election.

“You have my full commitment on maintaining the quality, ethics, and standards we all believe in,” Bezos said. “A huge thank you for continuing to do the work that makes us all proud, and makes this institution so important.”