Ralph Nader
Now that Jeff Bezos has assumed ownership of the Washington Post, may I presume to speak for some very longtime readers of your newspaper about your editorial independence from his control.
In recent weeks we have learned from the Post much about Bezos–his impatience, work ethic, attention to detail, his innovative business success and his raucous laughter.
We have also learned that he has yet to form his plans for the newspaper other than to generally continue its high journalistic performance with changes and adequate resources.
What we have not been told is how the newspaper is going to shield itself from Mr. Bezos’ far-flung business interests in order to maintain reader credibility and trust.
Years ago, I was told by your newspaper that all editorials represented the positions of the Washington Post Company–which was one reason why they were not individually signed by the writers. Since Mr. Bezos will own the Post personally, who will the Post‘s editorials represent?
This is not a question that can be answered by mere verbal assurances. There needs to be an institutional barrier that clearly informs the readers that Mr. Bezos will not exercise any prior restraint or review of newspaper copy unless publicly disclosed.
A public declaration to that effect by Mr. Bezos, coupled with an independent board of directors, will help clarify the relationship that splits ownership from control.
Of course, readers will have the opportunity shortly to see how critical Post reporters can be in covering the increasing number of controversies that swirl around Mr. Bezos’ immense business ambitions and strategies. Their arm’s-length performance will also serve to reassure readers that Mr. Bezos has chosen not to be another Hearst, Murdoch or Annenberg, who, in their time, were known to invade and direct editorial content when they saw fit.
Mr. Bezos would do well to reestablish the longtime ombudsman post which was abolished in March of this year, presumably to save money. For an ombudsman’s role is not just to be an internal critic at the paper but also to be the reader’s coherent voice on the ways the Washington Post is being managed.
As a fellow Princetonian, I hope Mr. Bezos will treat the Post with his alma mater’s signature motto by letting the Post operate “in the nation’s service.”
Ralph Nader is one of the nation’s foremost consumer advocates.
So far in reading and dealing with Jeff Bezo and Amazon.Com I have found them to be ethical, above average in all transactions and fair. I have even sold my used items through Amazon and found that to be a valuable asset to recycle products that I otherwise might not find a place for or would give away.
I’ve heard criticisms of Bezos and Amazon, but have not encountered anything but a smart and savvy and fair company myself, in my own experience.
I hope that will continue with Amazon, and I suggest people just wait and see how me manages the Washington Post. It would be nice if the paper and its new owner would post some of their guidelines, and I support that as well. I’m hoping we see something new and useful in the journalism space … God knows we sure need it.
I don’t know why people say Ralph Nader has no sense of humor. This one was a scream! Since when has the Washington Post published “in the nation’s service”?! And their conservative editorials now commonly run on the front page, although they claim to be news stories. I don’t mean to suggest that Jeff Bezos won’t make it worse–I’m pretty certain that he will. I just don’t think that the Post has far to fall.
The Post lost all if its independence and fairness in the 60’s. Its become nothing more than a sounding board for the left wing nuts and their socialist agenda. It would be a WELCOME change, speaking for some Posts subscribers, that the new owner initiate an agenda gear to reporting the news not making it
@ Brux and Frank Moraes: Yes, there is no reason to assume Jeff Bezos will make the Washington Post worse than it is now, and yes, it couldn’t get much worse. Exhibit one: George Will, who “believes” man-made global warming is a Marxist hoax.
Actually, Ralph, I am less concerned about what will happen to the Washington Post, a fair-weather friend to the American Left; I am far more concerned what will happen to the American Left after you are gone.
@Frank Moraes: Mr. Nader is far too clever to be naive about Mr. Bezos. In his ever positive and constructive spirit he is trying to suggestive-sell the idea of “the press in the service of the nation” to Mr. Bezos. The state of the 4th estate is so pathetic that people in the press have to be reminded of their constitutional and civic duty of serving the public instead of the mega-rich and right-wing ideologue nuts!
@NoDifference: As for the state of the American left, it has already been co-opted by the Democratic Party. Most people who label themselves as “being on the left”, “progressive”, or “liberal” cannot fathom not being a loyal DP dittohead constantly apologizing for Obama and his corporatist policies…
@Brux
No offense but the fact that you have successfully purchased and sold some of your personal possessions on Amazon.com doesn’t indicate in the slightest if Jeff Bezos will be an ethical publisher of the Washington Post.
That’s like suggesting because you bought gas the other day, Exxon/Mobil would probably be a good choice for President of the United States.
US runs on an idea i call “personal supremacism”.
this creates classes; which leads to discrimination and a dictatorship of the top class over ‘lower’ classes.
all elites discriminate against or look down on non-elitists.
so, it makes no difference whether an elitist deem self a liberal, conservative, progressive, Democrat, or Republican, s/he’s above else self-serving first of all and a servant of the top class.
@Brux Check out: http://www.motherjones.com/rights-stuff/2011/09/amazon-warehouse-heat-shipping
Not so ethical and fair after all.
@ uneconomicman … thanks for the link. Do you hear any followup on that story of the hot warehouse? We often hear a story and hang on to it forever. I happen to know a guy who works for an Amazon contractor, On-Trak. He seems to like his job and be very happy with it. He is a foreign national who speaks very little English with no formal education and I don’t know but I think he is lucky to have a job like this where he is paid fairly. I don’t know what the temperature is in his warehouse, but why use these kind of things to attack Bezos personally, like he turned up or turned off the heat. Let’s see the trend is on these issues.
Personally I am more concerned with the fact that fast food companies and others are stealing straight from the taxpayers when they do not pay their employees enough to even survive without taxpayer assistance, let along a living wage.
Things certainly are not perfect, but you have to compare apples to apples, that is Amazon to other warehouse operations and not to some imaginary perfect workplace.
After having at least one of my Senators or staff here in Missouri block my ability to post on their facebook page and others such as many yahoo articles I am still able to comment on the Post’s editorials. I have tried to weave the KeystoneXL and global warming into the many areas it will negatively affect such as corruption, increasing harm shared throughout the world etc etc. It seems less and less coverage for global warming and what the comprehensive harms of KeystoneXL and TarSands are. For the issue of our lives and affecting everyone in the near future it seems more ignoring of this issue just when we need more coverage and especially comprehensive revealing of the health, environment, and corrupting influence the TarSands industry represents. I am a big fan of R. Nader