Marty Baron, the former executive editor of The Washington Post, publicly rebuked the paper’s owner, Jeff Bezos, on Wednesday as the outlet announced sweeping layoffs and major restructuring that will shutter entire departments.
“This ranks among the darkest days in the history of one of the world’s greatest news organizations,” Baron said in a statement posted to social media.
“The Washington Post’s ambitions will be sharply diminished, its talented and brave staff will be further depleted, and the public will be denied the ground-level, fact-based reporting in our communities and around the world that is needed more than ever.”
Baron acknowledged that the paper faces “acute business problems” amid what he described as a “severely disruptive” media environment, adding that “radical innovation is required.”
However, he placed primary blame for the crisis squarely on decisions made by ownership.
“The Post’s challenges, however, were made infinitely worse by ill-conceived decisions that came from the very top — from a gutless order to kill a presidential endorsement 11 days before the 2024 election to a remake of the editorial page that now stands out only for its moral infirmity,” Baron wrote.
He continued, “Loyal readers, livid as they saw owner Jeff Bezos betraying the values he was supposed to uphold, fled The Post.
“In truth, they were driven away by the hundreds of thousands.”
Baron also accused Bezos of damaging trust within the newsroom and among subscribers.
“The owner, in a note to readers, wrote that he aimed to boost trust in The Post,” Baron said.
“The effect was something else entirely: Subscribers lost trust in his stewardship and, notwithstanding the newsroom’s stellar journalism, The Post overall.”
He added that many journalists also lost confidence in Bezos and left the paper.
“Similarly, many leading journalists at The Post lost confidence in Bezos and jumped to other news organizations,” Baron wrote.
“They also, in effect, were driven away.
“Bezos’s sickening efforts to curry favor with President Trump have left an especially ugly stain of their own.
“This is a case study in near-instant, self-inflicted brand destruction.”
Baron served as executive editor of The Washington Post from 2013 to 2021.
He noted that during his tenure, Bezos stood firm against outside political pressure.
“I am grateful for Jeff Bezos’s steadfast support during my tenure as executive editor,” Baron said.
“He came under brutal pressure from Trump, but spoke forcefully and eloquently of a free press and The Post’s mission.”
“I wish I detected the same spirit today,” Baron added.
“There is no sign of it.”
Baron said he wants Bezos and the publisher to articulate a clear vision for the future.
“Like many others, I’d like to hear the owner and the publisher he appointed articulate a contemporary vision that offers the prospect of financial stability and growth, demonstrates imagination and creativity, honors the heritage of The Post, shows appreciation for its remarkable staff and signals a firm sense of purpose.
“It is years overdue.”
The newspaper, whose longtime slogan reads “Democracy Dies in Darkness,” announced the layoffs on Wednesday.
The mass layoffs are part of what the Post described as a “significant restructuring.”
Roughly one-third of the company has been affected.
The paper is shuttering its sports desk in its current form, scaling back its international footprint, making its Metro section more “nimble and focused,” and eliminating its Books section entirely.
The cuts mark one of the most dramatic contractions in the paper’s modern history, underscoring the ongoing financial crisis facing legacy media outlets.
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