It appears The Washington Post’s decision to forgo endorsing a presidential candidate—for only the second time since 1976—was made by its owner, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, according to the newspaper.
The paper’s decision was initially explained by William Lewis, the publisher and CEO, in an opinion article as a return to the paper’s “roots” of not endorsing candidates.
“We recognize that this will be read in a range of ways, including as a tacit endorsement of one candidate, or as a condemnation of another, or as an abdication of responsibility,” Lewis wrote on Oct. 25. “That is inevitable. We don’t see it that way. We see it as consistent with the values The Post has always stood for and what we hope for in a leader: character and courage in service to the American ethic, veneration for the rule of law, and respect for human freedom in all its aspects….