Disasters come one after another washington post Since veteran newspaper executive Will Lewis became CEO and publisher a year ago this month, boss Jeff Bezos has ordered the storied newspaper to become financially sustainable develop.

The appointment of the new executive editor was terrible. The revocation of the presidential endorsement caused hundreds of thousands of subscribers to cancel their subscriptions. Senior reporters and editors left. Scandals from Lewis' time as a news director in the UK resurfaced a few years ago. A clear vision to secure the postal service’s financial future remains elusive.

Frustration boiled over Tuesday night. More than 400 postal Journalists, including some editors, signed a petition asking Bezos to intervene.

"We are deeply alarmed by recent leadership decisions that have led readers to question the integrity of this institution, violated the tradition of transparency, and prompted the departure of some of our most distinguished colleagues," the report reads in part.

The petition never named Lewis, but it read as a stinging indictment of his leadership. By Spokesperson Lewis and postal declined to comment for this article. A representative for Bezos did not respond to a request for comment.

For this story, NPR spoke to 10 washington post Newsroom and newspaper business staff, including some who did not sign the petition. They agreed to speak to NPR on condition of anonymity, fearing repercussions within the paper.

They said Bezos was also driven in part by the backlash against Lewis because of his public overtures to President-elect Donald Trump. (this postal declined to comment. )

Just days before the November election, Bezos decided to cancel his planned support for Vice President Kamala Harris, causing more than 300,000 subscribers to cancel their subscriptions, wiping out the meager gains. post Achievements were achieved under Lewis. (The spokesman said post About 20% of people who canceled their endorsement have been persuaded to continue subscribing. )

The decision also led to several resignations. In recent days postal has seen a months-long slog of departures of well-respected newsroom veterans — most recently Pulitzer Prize winner Rosalind Heldman, investigative reporter Josh Dawsey and columnist Jennifer Rubin. Pulitzer Prize Winner Cartoonist Ann Telnaes quits after her sketch of Bezos kneeling in front of Trump with a bag of money was rejected.

The tech giant's business interests, including Amazon Web Services and space company Blue Origin, have received billions of dollars from federal contracts. He donated $1 million toward Trump's inauguration expenses and traveled to Mar-a-Lago with his fiancée to meet the president-elect. Amazon Studios has agreed to pay Melania Trump millions of dollars for a documentary project about her, Parker News reports. On Monday, Bezos is expected to take the inaugural platform alongside Trump adviser Elon Musk and Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg.

After blocking publishing postalAfter endorsing Harris, Bezos admitted that he and his many businesses were "complicaters" for the paper. But he said those interests had nothing to do with his decision, pointing instead to plummeting public trust in the media.

"We have to work harder to control the things we can control to increase our credibility," Bezos wrote in a review article postal. “On its own, refusing to support a presidential candidate is not enough to give us a huge jump in trust, but it is a meaningful step in the right direction.”

this postal's Coverage from the Pentagon Papers to Watergate to January 6 places it in the pantheon of America's leading news organizations. But its influence waned in the run-up to Trump's second inauguration.

Bezos was seen as the paper's savior when he bought it in 2013 and as a champion of journalism during Trump's first term. many people are there postal Still hoping Bezos can help newspapers get back to normal. The petition states that the issue of presidential recognition is "the prerogative of the owner."

However, it required Bezos to refocus on the paper.

"We understand the need for change and we are eager to deliver our message in innovative ways," the letter states. "But we need a clear vision we can believe in."

Lewis's conservative credentials appeal to Bezos

lewis record Wall Street Journal—— He served as the book's publisher and CEO — Appeal to Bezos. this periodical During his tenure, digital subscriptions soared, giving it a solid footing.

challenge postalin comparison, is increasing. At the end of 2023, on the eve of Lewis’ arrival, postal Acquired 10% of employees.

Additionally, Lewis also appealed to Bezos for his easy way of dealing with conservatives as Trump's return to Washington became increasingly likely. That statement comes from two people with direct knowledge of Bezos' thinking who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

Lewis was a former conservative magazine editor telegraph London newspaper, closely associated with the Conservative Party. this Magazine Controlled by Rupert Murdoch, for whom Lewis also works in the UK. In between working in the media, Lewis advised then-UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

exist postalLewis initially received a warm welcome. He charmed his new colleagues and promised to turn things around. The call was exacerbated more than a decade ago after he repeatedly pressured then-executive editor Sally Buzbee not to report on serious allegations that he was working for Murdoch in London. . Lewis had previously pressured NPR not to cover the story that originally came to Buzby's attention.

Lewis has denied the accusations. He also denied putting undue pressure on Buzbee and calling me "Activists, not journalists".

Buzbee left last spring; Lewis's choice for former fellow executive editor stalled in June A critical review of ethical issues surrounding journalism They did it together in England

Reporters said Lewis snapped at them during a contentious town hall meeting earlier this month, telling them the paper would lose $100 million in 2022 and $77 million in 2023. He told writers they needed to change the way they worked because people weren't doing it. Don't read their work.

Last year, the paper was on track to cut annual losses to $50 million. That number soared to $100 million after a wave of subscriber cancellations last fall.

Newsroom leaders squirm, stars quit

Executive Editor Matt Murray and Editorial Page Editor David Shipley have found themselves in hot water multiple times.

Shipley told Ternas that her description of Bezos and other media and tech billionaires showing allegiance to Trump would not be published. Ternas, who quit, told NPR that she had always accepted edits but had never before been told she couldn't tackle a particular topic. In a note to colleagues, Shipley said the sketch overlapped too much with two opinion columns on the same topic.

Murray instituted a policy that the paper should not run stories about itself, including controversies and departures, even though it had previously done so thoroughly, according to four people familiar with the matter. (They spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of repercussions.)

"They were compromised," ex postal Columnist Jennifer Rubin, who resigned this week after more than 14 years on the job, spoke to NPR about what's happening with newsroom leaders. “Journalism is not about balancing your boss’s financial interests with your journalistic obligations.”

Shipley declined to comment. Murray has not responded to previous requests for comment. Rubin left to create a new website called "The Contrarian" to provide accountability news about the incoming Trump administration.

Murray leads the team Magazine The newsroom was led by Lewis, who brought him to Washington last year. Murray tells staff he will continue operations postalNews, but no public announcement has been made yet.

Despite all the conflict and turmoil, the paper continued to win praise for its work. It has taken initiatives to integrate cutting-edge artificial intelligence tools into its journalism and reader experience. Lewis has appointed new leaders for the newly named innovation center, WP Ventures. The paper employs some impressive staff, including Magazine and politics. Murray also added a new senior standards editor position, hiring a former senior editor Magazine edit.

However, the newspaper recently laid off another 4% of its staff, all on the business side. According to the company, this includes 73 advertised positions new york times. Staff asked how innovations that drive new revenue can gain traction without increasing investment.

Chief Strategy Officer Suzi Watford, a former SiriusXM executive who worked under Lewis Magazinehas been working with senior leaders for months to refine postalContemporary mission.

It is said that she is building The seven core principles proposed by the paper's owner, Eugene Meyer, in 1935.

Meyer's core principle was: "A newspaper's responsibility is to its readers and the public at large, not to the private interests of its owners."