Copies of the Washington Post on a newspaper stands in New York on Jan. 23, 2024. The Washington Post’s owner, Jeff Bezos, announced a narrowing of the opinion section’s focus to defend “personal liberties and free markets,” along with word that the paper’s opinions editor, David Shipley, was resigning. (Ahmed Gaber/The New York Times)
- David Shipley steps down as The Washington Post's opinion editor as Jeff Bezos shifts focus to personal liberties and free markets.
- Bezos redefines the paper’s opinion section with a rightward shift, prioritizing economic freedom and creativity.
- CEO Will Lewis emphasizes that the changes reflect clarity of purpose, not party alignment, and a new editorial direction is coming.
Share
|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
The Washington Post’s opinion editor, David Shipley, is exiting as the newspaper’s owner, Jeff Bezos, said the section’s focus would narrow to defend “personal liberties and free markets.”
“I am of America and for America, and proud to be so,” Bezos said. “Our country did not get here by being typical. And a big part of America’s success has been freedom in the economic realm and everywhere else. Freedom is ethical — it minimizes coercion — and practical; it drives creativity, invention and prosperity.”
In his note, Bezos said he asked Shipley whether he wanted to stay at the Post, and Shipley declined.
“I suggested to him that if the answer wasn’t ‘hell yes,’ then it had to be ‘no,’” Bezos wrote.
Related Story: Washington Post Lays Off 4% of Its Workforce
Shipley Sends Note to Washington Post Opinion Staff
In a note to opinion staff members, Shipley said he decided to step down “after reflection on how I can best move forward in the profession I love.”
“I will always be thankful for the opportunity I was given to work alongside a team of opinion journalists whose commitment to strong, innovative, reported commentary inspired me every day,” Shipley wrote.
The new direction envisioned for the Post’s opinion section appears to be a rightward shift for the paper. Bezos’ new focus echoes what has long been the informal tagline of The Wall Street Journal’s conservative opinion pages: “Free markets, free people.”
Will Lewis, the Post’s CEO, said in a memo to staff that changes to the opinion section were “not about siding with any political party.”
“This is about being crystal clear about what we stand for as a newspaper,” Lewis wrote. “Doing this is a critical part of serving as a premier news publication across America and for all Americans.”
In his note, Lewis said the Post would be naming a replacement for Shipley and that he would make arrangements for an interim editor.
—
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
By Benjamin Mullin/Ahmed Gaber
c. 2025 The New York Times Company
RELATED TOPICS:
Categories
Fresno Man Found Dead After Hike Near Courtright Reservoir
Former US Army Soldier Pleads Guilty in Phone Company Hacking, Extortion Case
Fresno City Attorney Briefly Ineligible to Practice Law, Cites State Bar Error
Grass Fire East of Sanger Contained at 21 Acres, CalFire Says
Age Is Just a Number: 80-Year-Old Conquers Death Valley to Mt. Whitney Ultramarathon
