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Washington Post Editor Critiques Paper’s Editorial Stance on Pardons
In an outspoken critique, one of the Washington Post’s longest-serving editors condemned the publication on Wednesday, expressing that it has “utterly lost its soul” following an editorial that drew controversial parallels between pardons issued by Presidents Joe Biden and Donald Trump.
David Maraniss, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who has been with the paper for nearly five decades, conveyed his discontent on Bluesky, emphasizing the inappropriateness of equating Biden’s pardons with Trump’s actions related to the January 6th insurrection. He stated, “The Washington Post editorial this morning essentially equating Biden’s questionable pardons with Trump’s outrageous Jan. 6 pardons was unconscionable.”
Although Maraniss did not directly link to the editorial, it appears he was referring to a piece published the previous evening by Jason Willick, titled “The Biden-Trump pardons show collapsing executive restraint.” The op-ed argues that there is a debate over which president’s use of the pardon power was more damaging, characterizing their actions as “tit-for-tat escalations.”
Willick’s editorial acknowledges Trump’s mass pardons for individuals involved in the January 6th events as “indefensible” but suggests a moral equivalence between Trump’s and Biden’s use of the pardon power, particularly noting Biden’s preemptive pardons aimed at those Trump has sought to target with governmental authority.
As of now, Maraniss has not elaborated further on his comments and has not indicated plans to resign from his position. His statements are part of a broader trend where he has openly criticized the direction of the publication, notably in October when the Post’s owner, Jeff Bezos, eliminated the paper’s planned endorsement of Kamala Harris. Maraniss expressed his frustration on Twitter, stating, “Once again, but this time more than ever, I am embarrassed for my newspaper. The decision in this of all years to not endorse when democracy is on the line is contemptible.”
He added, “The paper I’ve loved working at for 47 years is dying in darkness,” referencing a significant phrase associated with the Post that emerged during Trump’s first term: “Democracy Dies in Darkness.”
Maraniss is not the only veteran of the Washington Post to voice dissent regarding the paper’s perceived shift towards a more conservative, pro-Trump stance under Bezos’s leadership. Columnist Michele Norris articulated her disapproval of the decision to retract the Harris endorsement, labeling it “a terrible mistake & an insult to the paper’s own longstanding standard.”
Additionally, high-profile resignations have marked this turbulent period for the Post. Notable figures such as Editor at Large Robert Kagan and writer Molly Roberts have left the publication, along with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Hoffman from the board in protest. Legendary journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, revered for their Watergate coverage, have also been vocal in their criticism of the editorial decisions made under Bezos’s influence.
The discontent culminated in the recent resignation of longtime editorial cartoonist Ann Telnaes on January 3, following the removal of a cartoon that critiqued Bezos himself. Amid these internal conflicts, Bezos has steadfastly supported the sweeping changes made to the Post, coinciding with his emergence as one of Trump’s prominent supporters. However, these alterations have reportedly led to significant declines in the paper’s subscriptions and overall revenue.
Source
www.thewrap.com