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A veteran columnist at The Washington Post has decided to resign following the newspaper’s management choice to not publish her critical commentary regarding owner Jeff Bezos’ recent editorial guidelines. This decision appears to reflect broader tensions within the organization.
Ruth Marcus, who has been a prominent voice at the paper since 1984, expressed her disappointment in her resignation letter, stating, “it breaks my heart to conclude that I must leave.” The New York Times was among the first to report on her departure.
Her resignation is linked to Bezos’ instructions to focus the Post’s opinion section on issues surrounding personal freedoms and free market discussion. This redirection has led to significant changes, including the recent resignation of the newspaper’s opinions editor, David Shipley, who stepped down in response to the new editorial directives.
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Marcus disclosed that Will Lewis, the publisher, declined to run her piece, which she characterized as a respectful critique of Bezos’ mandate. She noted that this was the first instance in nearly two decades where her work was not published.
She commented that this incident highlights a troubling trend where the autonomy traditionally extended to columnists to choose their subjects and express their opinions is increasingly compromised.
A spokesperson for The Post acknowledged her long-term contributions, expressing gratitude and wishing her well in her future endeavors.
The Washington Post has faced various challenges recently, both financially and in terms of content direction. Last fall, Bezos’ directive to abstain from endorsing a presidential candidate after an editorial team prepared to back Kamala Harris contributed to a significant loss of subscribers. The uncertainty surrounding the newspaper’s future has precipitated an exodus of several journalists to other positions.
Marcus’ resignation has drawn attention away from a new newsroom reorganization plan unveiled by publisher Will Lewis.
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Source
www.yahoo.com