A longtime editor on the Washington Put up is resigning from the newspaper after a latest column “respectfully dissenting from” proprietor Jeff Bezos’ overhaul of its opinion part was spiked by his high government on the publication, in keeping with a report.
Ruth Marcus, the opinion columnist who has spent a long time on the Washington Put up, wrote a letter of resignation to Bezos and CEO Will Lewis, in keeping with New York Occasions media reporter Ben Mullin, who posted the notice on his X account on Monday.
“Will’s decision to not to run the column that I wrote respectfully dissenting from Jeff’s edict — something that I have not experienced in almost two decades of column-writing — underscores that the traditional freedom of columnists to select the topics they wish to address and say what they think has been dangerously eroded,” Marcus wrote in her resignation letter to Bezos and Lewis.
Marcus wrote that Bezos’ overhaul of the opinion part “threatens to break the trust of readers that columnists are writing what they believe, not what the owner has deemed acceptable.”
Throughout her profession on the Washington Put up, the left-leaning Marcus has lined authorized affairs, politics and coverage. She additionally served because the deputy editorial web page editor and is acknowledged for her evaluation on Supreme Courtroom choices and political points.
Marcus’ resignation comes because the Washington Put up is reportedly present process a serious newsroom reorganization geared toward increasing protection and attracting a broader viewers, in keeping with a memo from government editor Matt Murray.
As a part of the overhaul, the nationwide desk might be cut up into two sections: one devoted to nationwide reporting and one other centered on politics and authorities, in keeping with the information website Axios.
The latter will embody many of the Put up’s political journalists and take in the Enterprise part’s Economics and Financial Coverage workforce.
In the meantime, a newly shaped division will mix enterprise, expertise, well being, science and local weather reporting.
Murray additionally introduced efforts to prioritize digital content material, appointing senior editors for viewers development and visuals in every division.
A devoted print chief will oversee the newspaper, separating it from digital operations.
Acknowledging potential challenges, Murray admitted, “It may not be for everyone,” however burdened that the reinvention is important because the Put up adapts to monetary struggles and declining readership.
The New York Put up has sought remark from the Washington Put up. Marcus was not instantly obtainable for remark.
Marcus is the most recent high-profile Postie to depart the newspaper in latest months within the wake of Bezos’ aggressive intervention within the publication’s editorial choices — most notably the transfer to dam the editorial board from publishing an endorsement of Democratic nominee Kamala Harris.
In late February, Bezos introduced that he would reorient the Washington Put up editorial web page in order that it will tout “personal liberties and free markets.”
In a social media publish, Bezos revealed that the transfer led to the resignation of opinions editor David Shipley.
Bezos added that the newspaper would additionally opine on “critical issues around reciprocity, national security, and the damaging and distorting effects if tariffs are used to pick winners and losers (exempting particular products or supply chain ‘ingredients’ if the beneficiary has political power, for example).”
Bezos’ resolution prompted a reported 75,000 folks to cancel their subscriptions, in keeping with Nationwide Public Radio.
Final week, Oliver Darcy reported in his Standing e-newsletter that Lewis, a former government with the Wall Avenue Journal, enlisted the assistance of Free Beacon editor-in-chief Eliana Johnson so as to recruit extra right-leaning reporters and editors to the Washington Put up.
Information of the assembly coincided with MSNBC’s announcement that Jackie Alemany, who lined politics on the Washington Put up, was coming onboard as co-host of one in all its “The Weekend” panel reveals.
For the reason that begin of the yr, a number of WaPo staffers have departed, together with Ben Terris, Leigh Ann Caldwell, Tony Romm, Isaac Stanley-Becker and Cristiano Lima-Sturdy.
