Source: The Atlantic
by Joshua Benton
“The thing about American newspaper opinion sections is this: Their owners get final say. If the man who signs the checks — it’s almost always a man — really wants to see his cocker spaniel run City Hall, you’ll probably see OUR CHOICE: FLUFFERNUTTER FOR MAYOR atop the editorial page. For generations, this has been one of the overriding perks of media ownership. If Jeff Bezos wanted to turn The Washington Post’s opinion section over to an AI-powered version of Alexa, he’d be within his rights. So his announcement this morning — that Post Opinions would henceforth reorient ‘in support and defense of two pillars: personal liberties and free markets’ — is, in a sense, nothing astonishing. But the scale of the hypocrisy on display here is eye-watering, and this decision can only make the Post a weaker institution.” (02/26/25)