5 ms·

Do you think he bought it because he really likes journalism?

chadcmulligan 6y ago
Here's an interview with him here about it [1] It seems he had a mix of reasons, he says. No doubt now that it's a functioning entity he has an added bonus. I remember at the time though most people thought he was throwing good money after bad. [1] https://www.forbes.com/sites/stephaniedenning/2018/09/19/why-jeff-bezos-bought-the-washington-post/#3335b1163aab https://www.forbes.com/sites/stephaniedenning/2018/09/19/why...
- GCSAQCMIYI 6y ago
  The reasons he gives for buying it don't tell us anything. His net worth is in the 12 figures. Everything he says publicly is crafted by a well paid and highly competent PR team. If he bought it to gain political influence, which seems to me the only reason that makes any sense whatsoever, or for any other reason that would put him in a bad light, he would not in a million years come out and say that openly.
  - marcus_holmes 6y ago
    No idea why you're getting downvoted. This is the guy who refuses to pay his shareholders a dividend, or his employees more than he absolutely has to. He didn't buy a newspaper because he loves giving money away on good causes.
    - GCSAQCMIYI 6y ago
      I am quite surprised by the downvotes here. They almost make me think that people are being paid to create an appearance of a pro-Amazon/pro-Bezos consensus on this site.
      - smitty1e 6y ago
        I'm unsurprised but the commitment to Orthodoxy here on HN. I've experienced copious carpet bombings for deviations from the Received Truth, however mild and documented.
    - smitty1e 6y ago
      No, failure to control the spigot equates to lack of influence over the output.
      - GCSAQCMIYI 6y ago
        Do you have some personal insight into the minds of WP employees? Do you have first-hand knowledge that the identity of the owner of the business has had no impact on any of their decisions, like who to hire or what to publish? Leaders like Bezos don't have to write down a memo to make sure people carry out their will.
        coffeefirst 6y ago
        Actually, I do. You're wildly underestimating how rebellious newspaper editors are. If someone was messing with the reporting, everyone in DC would know, and you'd see remarkably detailed reporting on it throughout other parts of the press.
        smitty1e 6y ago
        I would offer that the Project Veritas expose of CNN belies your assertion handily. There is a mindset that dominates academia and carries on into the media. It is reflected in the political donations of journalists. And the distribution of the story bias. It perhaps one should say "stunning lack of anything resembling a distribution".
        pstuart 6y ago
        Of course academia is a "radical left" arena, as it's the domain of our youth and that is a natural expression of their view of the world. All news has bias, but some are more biased than others, and that bias varies from personal and ingrained to organizational and intentional. It's important to be able to separate the wheat from the chaff, as it were. Project Veritas is a right-wing, extremely partisan organization with a shady history. They are not an organization that I would trust.
    - mrep 6y ago
      > This is the guy who refuses to pay his shareholders a dividend Amazons share price has grown 136,000% in the past 23 years or 36.8% per year. That is far above S&P 500 returns and the exact case for when you want a company reinvesting in themself instead of paying out dividends.
- chadcmulligan 6y ago
  I wasn't defending Bezos - just putting forward the situation at the time. I feel the idea that this is some brilliant forward plan of domination isn't correct, sure it was a possibility but the element of risk was one that everyone else walked away from. Respect to him for that, having said that, I disagree with a lot of his business practices, but that seems to be the current business environment - he's just working within the rules. The rules need to change.

Here's an interview with him here about it [1] It seems he had a mix of reasons, he says. No doubt now that it's a functioning entity he has an added bonus. I remember at the time though most people thought he was throwing good money after bad. [1] https://www.forbes.com/sites/stephaniedenning/2018/09/19/why-jeff-bezos-bought-the-washington-post/#3335b1163aab https://www.forbes.com/sites/stephaniedenning/2018/09/19/why...

GCSAQCMIYI 6y ago
The reasons he gives for buying it don't tell us anything. His net worth is in the 12 figures. Everything he says publicly is crafted by a well paid and highly competent PR team. If he bought it to gain political influence, which seems to me the only reason that makes any sense whatsoever, or for any other reason that would put him in a bad light, he would not in a million years come out and say that openly.
- marcus_holmes 6y ago
  No idea why you're getting downvoted. This is the guy who refuses to pay his shareholders a dividend, or his employees more than he absolutely has to. He didn't buy a newspaper because he loves giving money away on good causes.
  - GCSAQCMIYI 6y ago
    I am quite surprised by the downvotes here. They almost make me think that people are being paid to create an appearance of a pro-Amazon/pro-Bezos consensus on this site.
    - smitty1e 6y ago
      I'm unsurprised but the commitment to Orthodoxy here on HN. I've experienced copious carpet bombings for deviations from the Received Truth, however mild and documented.
  - smitty1e 6y ago
    No, failure to control the spigot equates to lack of influence over the output.
    - GCSAQCMIYI 6y ago
      Do you have some personal insight into the minds of WP employees? Do you have first-hand knowledge that the identity of the owner of the business has had no impact on any of their decisions, like who to hire or what to publish? Leaders like Bezos don't have to write down a memo to make sure people carry out their will.
      - coffeefirst 6y ago
        Actually, I do. You're wildly underestimating how rebellious newspaper editors are. If someone was messing with the reporting, everyone in DC would know, and you'd see remarkably detailed reporting on it throughout other parts of the press.
        smitty1e 6y ago
        I would offer that the Project Veritas expose of CNN belies your assertion handily. There is a mindset that dominates academia and carries on into the media. It is reflected in the political donations of journalists. And the distribution of the story bias. It perhaps one should say "stunning lack of anything resembling a distribution".
        pstuart 6y ago
        Of course academia is a "radical left" arena, as it's the domain of our youth and that is a natural expression of their view of the world. All news has bias, but some are more biased than others, and that bias varies from personal and ingrained to organizational and intentional. It's important to be able to separate the wheat from the chaff, as it were. Project Veritas is a right-wing, extremely partisan organization with a shady history. They are not an organization that I would trust.
  - mrep 6y ago
    > This is the guy who refuses to pay his shareholders a dividend Amazons share price has grown 136,000% in the past 23 years or 36.8% per year. That is far above S&P 500 returns and the exact case for when you want a company reinvesting in themself instead of paying out dividends.
chadcmulligan 6y ago
I wasn't defending Bezos - just putting forward the situation at the time. I feel the idea that this is some brilliant forward plan of domination isn't correct, sure it was a possibility but the element of risk was one that everyone else walked away from. Respect to him for that, having said that, I disagree with a lot of his business practices, but that seems to be the current business environment - he's just working within the rules. The rules need to change.