Furor over Washington Post’s decision to not endorse presidential candidate: ‘Stab in the back’, ‘dying in darkness’
GuardianOCT 22 2024
Ex-WaPo Editor: Bezos Struck 'Quid-Pro-Quo' Deal With Trump
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The Facts
Former Washington Post editor-at-large Robert Kagan, who resigned last Friday following the paper's decision not to endorse a candidate in the US presidential election, has alleged that The Post's owner, Jeff Bezos, struck a secret deal with former Pres. Donald Trump to drop its planned endorsement of Vice Pres. Kamala Harris.
Kagan claims that Trump met with executives at Blue Origin — Bezos' space exploration company — the same day as The Post's announcement and there was a "quid pro quo" agreement to end the paper's decades-long practice of endorsing a presidential candidate.
Kagan added that The Post's decision to pull the Harris endorsement had "been in the works for some time." However, there was no explanation for the announcement's timing, and a spokeswoman for The Post said that ending presidential endorsements was solely a "Washington Post decision."
The Spin
Republican narrative
The Post's decision to refrain from endorsing a presidential candidate is a step toward true journalistic neutrality. It allows readers to form their own opinions without undue influence from the paper. The allegations of a quid pro quo are baseless and ignore the publisher's stated reasons for the decision.
Democratic narrative
The decision not to endorse a candidate is a cowardly move that undermines democracy. It's a clear example of corporate interests bowing to political pressure, potentially sacrificing journalistic integrity for financial gain. This sets a dangerous precedent for media self-censorship and could further erode press freedom.
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