[Karah Rucker]

THE STAFF AT THE WASHINGTON POST ARE CALLING ON THE PAPER’S  OWNER JEFF BEZOS TO MEET WITH THEM IN OFFICE AMID GROWING EMPLOYEE CONCERNS.

STAFFERS’ DISCONTENT HAS CULMINATED IN A LETTER SIGNED BY MORE THAN 400 EMPLOYEES, URGING BEZOS TO MEET WITH THEM TO DISCUSS THE PAPER’S LEADERSHIP AND DIRECTION.

WELL-KNOWN REPORTERS AND EDITORS ARE REQUESTING A MEETING TO DISCUSS CONCERNS ABOUT THE NEWSPAPER’S FUTURE.

THE LETTER, SENT TUESDAY, SAYS EMPLOYEES ARE “DEEPLY ALARMED” BY RECENT DECISIONS THAT HAVE RAISED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PAPER’S INTEGRITY, DAMAGED TRANSPARENCY, AND LED TO A WAVE OF HIGH-PROFILE DEPARTURES.

THE LETTER DOES NOT SINGLE OUT INDIVIDUALS, BUT IT CRITICIZES THE CURRENT LEADERSHIP UNDER CEO WILL LEWIS, WHOSE EDITORIAL DECISIONS STAFF HAVE NOT ALWAYS BEEN ON BOARD WITH.

NOTABLY, THE RESIGNATION OF TOP EDITOR SALLY BUZBEE IN JUNE FOLLOWED A REORGANIZATION LED BY LEWIS, AND HIS CHOICE TO REPLACE HER, ROBERT WINNETT, WITHDREW AFTER STAFF BACKLASH.

THE PAPER HAS SEEN MORE RECENT RESIGNATIONS BY A CARTOONIST OVER A BEZOS CARTOON CONTROVERSY, AND SEVERAL REPORTERS HAVE LEFT TO WORK FOR OTHER PUBLICATIONS.

SEVERAL POST EDITORIAL STAFF MEMBERS ALSO RESIGNED AFTER THE PAPER’S DECISION TO END ITS ENDORSEMENTS OF PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES –

THOUGH STAFFERS SAY THAT DECISION BY BEZOS IS UNRELATED TO CONCERNS THEY WANT TO DISCUSS IN A MEETING.

INSTEAD, THE LETTER EMPHASIZES CONCERNS ABOUT RESTORING TRUST, REGAINING A COMPETITIVE EDGE AMID A DROP IN SUBSCRIPTIONS, AND IMPROVING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN LEADERSHIP AND STAFF.

THE EMPLOYEES ARE ASKING BEZOS TO VISIT THE POST’S OFFICES FOR A REGROUP – SIMILAR TO HIS 2023 VISIT FOLLOWING DISCONTENT WITH FORMER PUBLISHER FRED RYAN, WHO STEPPED DOWN LATER THAT YEAR.

A SPOKESPERSON FOR THE WASHINGTON POST HAS NOT COMMENTED ON THE REPORTED STAFF LETTER, AND BEZOS HAS ALSO NOT RESPONDED AS OF THIS RECORDING.

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