Marty Baron on Post endorsement choice: 'This is cowardice'
Marty Baron, the former executive editor for The Washington Post, said it is "cowardice" for the publication not to endorse a presidential candidate in this year's election.
“This is cowardice, with democracy as its casualty,” Baron wrote in a post on the social platform X.
In a stark contrast to 36 years of tradition, the Post said it will not back presidential candidates this year or at any time in the future.
“@realdonaldtrump will see this as an invitation to further intimidate owner @jeffbezos (and others). Disturbing spinelessness at an institution famed for courage,” Baron fumed.
Post reporters said an editorial was drafted in support of Vice President Harris but was never approved for release. Ultimately, the decision not to endorse a candidate was made by Bezos, who acquired the outlet in 2013 and has restructured the culture and overall landscape, causing concern among employees with editor layoffs and shuffled appointments.
However, the paper’s political coverage moved forward rampantly, pushing out endorsements and oppositions accordingly. In 2016, the editorial board warned against former President Trump’s White House bid, labeling him as a “unique and present danger.”
Eight years later, their choice to stay silent amid the former president’s third presidential campaign against Vice President Harris is sounding alarms from former employees and current journalists alike.
"The message from our chief executive, Will Lewis — not from the Editorial Board itself — makes us concerned that management interfered with the work of our members in Editorial," the Washington Post Guild said in the statement on X.
The group noted a sharp decline in subscriptions due to the lack of endorsement days before the November election.
"We are already seeing cancellations from once loyal readers," the Guild said. "This decision undercuts the work of our members at a time when we should be building our readers' trust, not losing it."