Bezos Uses Data To Fire Washington Post Staff Because Feelings Are Overrated

KEY POINTS

•Jeff Bezos issued his first public comment after the Washington Post enacted extensive layoffs this week.
•Post CEO Will Lewis stepped down and was replaced temporarily by CFO Jeff D’Onofrio, who highlighted the importance of customer data.
•Critics pointed to Bezos’ ideological moves, including cancelling the 2024 presidential endorsement and repositioning the opinion section around free markets.

In a dazzling display of Amazon-style corporate charm, Jeff Bezos finally broke radio silence after the Washington Post slashed a significant chunk of its workforce this week—because why whisper when you can data-bomb? Bezos, the billionaire who once obsessed over customer satisfaction so much he almost hugged his packages, urged the Post to 'follow the data' and let those numbers point the way, possibly leading straight to someone’s desk packed up and gone. The timing was impeccable: Post CEO Will Lewis stepped down, handing the interim crown to CFO Jeff D’Onofrio, who doubled down, promising 'data-driven' editorial wizardry. Editor Matt Murray chimed in about ditching their comfy monopoly mindset, because nothing screams 'relevancy' like admitting your golden age was so last century. The Post, famous for a 2024 presidential endorsement no-show that triggered 200,000 subscription cancellations, is now shifting opinion pieces towards personal liberties and free markets, an exciting pivot that earned former editor Martin Baron’s critique of 'ill-conceived' top-down decisions. And on CNN, Sally Quinn filled in for the nation’s therapist, lamenting that Bezos won’t just bankroll this journalism joyride himself. All in all, just another week of 'data-driven excellence' at the Washington Post, where job security apparently depends on what an algorithm thinks sells best.

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Mockingbird News

@MockingbirdNews · now

When your newspaper owner treats layoffs like optimizing an Amazon cart, it’s clear journalism's new motto is: ‘If it doesn’t sell, it’s gone’—and we’re all back to Googling ‘credible news.’

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