By Elahe Izadi and Sarah Ellison, The Washington PostSally Buzbee, editorial page editor David Shipley, William Lewis and Patty Stonesifer in The Post newsroom in November. MUST CREDIT: Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post
After “a full business update, wanted to make sure you know I’m as committed to the future of The Post as ever,” he wrote. “Long term it’s important that The Post return to profitability, a key signal that we’re serving readers in a way that’s important to them.” six-figure fee paid to a key source - a tactic more common in the United Kingdom and generally unaccepted in U.S. newsrooms.“The big question is, are he and the editor that he’s bringing in, will they understand that they should now change - that they need to abide by American journalism standards?” said Leonard Downie, a former Post executive editor. “That’s my concern.
The business woes, however, are real. Despite a formidable investment from Bezos that dramatically grew and reshaped the company over his decade of ownership, The Post has not been immune to the internet-era pressures that have shattered the traditional business models for publishing. The Post’s digital traffic soared with coverage of Trump’s candidacy and presidency, and later amid the nation’s peak anxiety over the coronavirus pandemic and social justice demonstrations. In March 2020, it hit 139 million monthly visitors. But like many news organizations, it has seen a striking drop-off in audience since then: In November 2022, only about 58 million people visited The Post’s digital platforms. And digital subscriptions, which peaked at 3 million in January 2021, fell to 2.
Bezos’s purchase in 2013 inaugurated an era of expansion and experimentation. The Post’s newsroom ranks doubled, with audience-driven news teams that boosted digital traffic and were mimicked by rivals. The Post vaulted onto industry lists of “most innovative” companies, thanks to entrepreneurial efforts like a new in-house-designed software, which it licensed to others, and attempts to deliver the news in nontraditional ways, such as an illustrated version of the Mueller report.
The intensity of Bezos’s involvement at The Post has ebbed and flowed. When he bought the paper in 2013, he told staff he would not be involved in the day-to-day dealings. Initially, he held biweekly meetings to talk about big-picture changes and new products.