5 ms·

So many times HN posters have extolled how Bezos hasn't interfered with the WaPo and those of us who expressed concern about his purchase were chicken littles.

So many times HN posters have extolled how Bezos hasn't interfered with the WaPo and those of us who expressed concern about his purchase were chicken littles. It has never been true and it's plain as day now. He bought it for the same reason Musk bought Twitter. To have control over a media outlet he values.

ajross 2y ago
Well, it might have been true until now. Certainly there's no previous good evidence for Bezos-directed coverage or editing at the Post. But regardless: you were right. I was one of the folks who viewed him as a basically benign entity who, sure, had opinions of his own, but clearly would never put his fingers on the editorial scale. And I was wrong, and he isn't.
- Slava_Propanei 2y ago
  [dead]
vagab0nd 2y ago
If you have that kind of money, why wouldn't you do that?
- ribosometronome 2y ago
  They're not really saying Bezo or Musk are acting illogically. He's lamenting everyone who has set with their heads buried in the sand and pretended they aren't doing the things they're doing.
  - EasyMark 2y ago
    Not really, there was no proof, just speculation with no evidence. In this case there is plenty of evidence that Bezos put his finger on the scale. See the editor resigning and likely there will be others to follow. He said he was hands off when he bought it, but here we are.
- mmooss 2y ago
  Because you believe in something more than personal gain. The US and other countries were built by elites who believed in more; it's the current generation that are failing.
  - _yb2s 2y ago
    Or at least forming your own vision of what you want the world to be like based on your own values, and seeing the world move that way as "personal gain." I think people nowadays choose some generic and pointlessly bland vision of personal success instead of having their own vision based on their own values out of narcissism. The more generic, the more people will agree that you are successful.
gwern 2y ago
> The newspaper also published an article by two staff reporters saying that editorial page staffers had drafted an endorsement of Democratic nominee Kamala Harris over GOP nominee Donald Trump in the election. This is a bizarre way to use his control as a owner. If you own a newspaper or tabloid, we know from Trump how you use it effectively: you practice 'catch and kill', or you kill your own inconvenient stories, or you sic your reporters on the enemy disproportionately (while still scrupulously reporting only true things), or you selectively amplify stories from elsewhere. You don't... kill editorial board endorsements (while still publishing an article on it!). Is there a single person in a swing state who, despite being bombarded by advertising for years, is now going to vote for Trump but would have voted for Harris once they saw the Washington Post endorsed Harris instead? "Ah, well, if WaPo says so, I guess I was wrong about her! I wasn't expecting them to endorse the Democratic candidate!" I can only read this as Bezos trying to kiss up to Trump, who is narcissistic enough to actually take personally a foregone editorial board endorsement of his opponent.
- mmooss 2y ago
  It's in fact a very powerful endorsement of Trump, IMHO: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41951373 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41951373
  - gwern 2y ago
    If it's so powerful, why is Bezos also apparently now pushing for a lot of changes in the actual writing and ordered conservative writers added to the op-ed board? https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/25/business/media/washington-post-presidential-endorsement.html https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/25/business/media/washington... and started defending it publicly: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/10/28/jeff-bezos-washington-post-trust/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/10/28/jeff-bezo...
    - mmooss 2y ago
      I don't understand how those things relate to the 'power' of that 'endorsement'?

ajross 2y ago

Well, it might have been true until now. Certainly there's no previous good evidence for Bezos-directed coverage or editing at the Post. But regardless: you were right. I was one of the folks who viewed him as a basically benign entity who, sure, had opinions of his own, but clearly would never put his fingers on the editorial scale. And I was wrong, and he isn't.

Slava_Propanei 2y ago
[dead]

vagab0nd 2y ago

If you have that kind of money, why wouldn't you do that?

ribosometronome 2y ago
They're not really saying Bezo or Musk are acting illogically. He's lamenting everyone who has set with their heads buried in the sand and pretended they aren't doing the things they're doing.
- EasyMark 2y ago
  Not really, there was no proof, just speculation with no evidence. In this case there is plenty of evidence that Bezos put his finger on the scale. See the editor resigning and likely there will be others to follow. He said he was hands off when he bought it, but here we are.
mmooss 2y ago
Because you believe in something more than personal gain. The US and other countries were built by elites who believed in more; it's the current generation that are failing.
- _yb2s 2y ago
  Or at least forming your own vision of what you want the world to be like based on your own values, and seeing the world move that way as "personal gain." I think people nowadays choose some generic and pointlessly bland vision of personal success instead of having their own vision based on their own values out of narcissism. The more generic, the more people will agree that you are successful.

gwern 2y ago

> The newspaper also published an article by two staff reporters saying that editorial page staffers had drafted an endorsement of Democratic nominee Kamala Harris over GOP nominee Donald Trump in the election. This is a bizarre way to use his control as a owner. If you own a newspaper or tabloid, we know from Trump how you use it effectively: you practice 'catch and kill', or you kill your own inconvenient stories, or you sic your reporters on the enemy disproportionately (while still scrupulously reporting only true things), or you selectively amplify stories from elsewhere. You don't... kill editorial board endorsements (while still publishing an article on it!). Is there a single person in a swing state who, despite being bombarded by advertising for years, is now going to vote for Trump but would have voted for Harris once they saw the Washington Post endorsed Harris instead? "Ah, well, if WaPo says so, I guess I was wrong about her! I wasn't expecting them to endorse the Democratic candidate!" I can only read this as Bezos trying to kiss up to Trump, who is narcissistic enough to actually take personally a foregone editorial board endorsement of his opponent.

mmooss 2y ago
It's in fact a very powerful endorsement of Trump, IMHO: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41951373 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41951373
- gwern 2y ago
  If it's so powerful, why is Bezos also apparently now pushing for a lot of changes in the actual writing and ordered conservative writers added to the op-ed board? https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/25/business/media/washington-post-presidential-endorsement.html https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/25/business/media/washington... and started defending it publicly: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/10/28/jeff-bezos-washington-post-trust/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/10/28/jeff-bezo...
  - mmooss 2y ago
    I don't understand how those things relate to the 'power' of that 'endorsement'?