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Jeff Bezos Refuses to Subsidize Failing Washington Post

Posted on 5/20/26 at 3:27 pm
Posted by NC_Tigah
Make Orwell Fiction Again
Member since Sep 2003
139019 posts
Posted on 5/20/26 at 3:27 pm
quote:

Nolte: Jeff Bezos Refuses to Subsidize Failing Washington Post
By John Nolte
20 May 2026


Amazon founder and sole owner of the failing, far-left Washington Post, Jeff Bezos, said he is done subsidizing this failure.

During a Wednesday appearance on CNBC’s Squawk Box, anchor Andrew Ross Sorkin appeared eager to shame Bezos into subsidizing the Washington Post as-is rather than make the necessary changes to make it a profitable enterprise:
..........

Andrew Ross Sorkin: And there’s a lot of people out there who said, ‘Jeff’s super wealthy. He’s talked about this being a public trust. That’s something that he bought early on.’ How much do you care about that piece of it? Why, why lay people off? Why fire people? Why don’t you subsidize the business?

Jeff Bezos: Because the Post needs to be a profitable enterprise that stands on its own two feet.

Sorkin: But does it?

Bezos: Yes.

Sorkin: I mean, that’s the question. Some people say it should be a trust.

Bezos: And let me tell you why. Because it’s a measure of its relevance. If people won’t pay for our product, we’re not doing, it’s not a good enough product. It’s like, you know, doing — it would be like poetry without rhyming. It’s too easy. So we want — it’s got to be something that people will pay for because that’s a signal… It’s a signal that we’re providing a relevant service. Your paper, the New York Times, you guys make a ton of money. You guys are doing very well financially, and you’re providing a service that people are willing to pay for. We can do that, too.
..........

The Post is such a failure it has lost around a quarter of a billion — with a “B” — dollars since 2023. Since 2022, the Post has laid off around 40 percent of its staff. Still, this guy is asking, “Why lay people off?” Imagine those losses without the layoffs.

LINK
Posted by Giantkiller
the internet.
Member since Sep 2007
25478 posts
Posted on 5/20/26 at 3:33 pm to
quote:

Why, why lay people off? Why fire people? Why don’t you subsidize the business?


If you're ever worried you won't be able to be successful in a business, just remember there's people out there who think like this person.
Posted by 4cubbies
Member since Sep 2008
61436 posts
Posted on 5/20/26 at 3:35 pm to
Did Bezos even try to turn it around? Wondering why he got into the newspaper business in the first place.
Posted by AGGIES
Member since Jul 2021
12376 posts
Posted on 5/20/26 at 3:38 pm to
One reason why would be to get some tax write-offs for business losses
Posted by Padme
Member since Dec 2020
9797 posts
Posted on 5/20/26 at 3:39 pm to
Powerful people like to set the narrative. Elon buying X was 1000% a better move than buying a dying media
Posted by 4cubbies
Member since Sep 2008
61436 posts
Posted on 5/20/26 at 3:41 pm to
It doesn’t seem like he even tried to do that though. Just an overall bad investment.
Posted by Longhorn Actual
Member since Dec 2023
3192 posts
Posted on 5/20/26 at 3:49 pm to
It's a CIA mouthpiece, just like Twitter used to be (that's why everyone went apeshit when Musk bought it; not because of freedom of speech concerns...he took away their megaphone).

Let them subsidize WaPo if it's so important.
Posted by NC_Tigah
Make Orwell Fiction Again
Member since Sep 2003
139019 posts
Posted on 5/20/26 at 3:57 pm to
quote:

Did Bezos even try to turn it around?
Yes.

Similar to CBS, the WaPo newsroom fought tooth and toenail to avoid giving up shaping the news, instead of letting the news shape their reporting. It's hard to shed their journalistic university indoctrinations holding that their job is not to factually report, but rather to steer their readers to a conclusion preordained prior to the events they are covering.

It seems they are now faced with the choice of giving up their bias, or giving up their jobs.
Posted by Purple Spoon
Hoth
Member since Feb 2005
20887 posts
Posted on 5/20/26 at 3:59 pm to
This is community college Econ 101.

If a business is not operating at a profit you have to change something. Dumping cash in a failing Business model will never come out on top.
Posted by Houag80
Member since Jul 2019
19543 posts
Posted on 5/20/26 at 4:01 pm to
Sorkin is a fig's fig.
This post was edited on 5/20/26 at 4:01 pm
Posted by Diamondawg
Mississippi
Member since Oct 2006
38417 posts
Posted on 5/20/26 at 4:06 pm to
quote:

Did Bezos even try to turn it around? Wondering why he got into the newspaper business in the first place.
Do you think Rupert Murdoch knows how to run anything he holds a major position in?
Posted by 4cubbies
Member since Sep 2008
61436 posts
Posted on 5/20/26 at 4:27 pm to
quote:

to avoid giving up shaping the news, instead of letting the news shape their reporting


Neither of those approaches seems very good. Just report the news. Nothing needs to be shaped.

quote:

It's hard to shed their journalistic university indoctrinations

the Republican hatred of college is really enduring.

I have a journalism degree. Idk if I ever had the opportunity to disclose that. I even took classes taught by Bob Mann himself and I was only ever taught objective reporting.
Posted by Diamondawg
Mississippi
Member since Oct 2006
38417 posts
Posted on 5/20/26 at 4:30 pm to
quote:

I was only ever taught objective reporting.
So why are you so predictably biased here?
Posted by CleverUserName
Member since Oct 2016
17490 posts
Posted on 5/20/26 at 4:34 pm to
quote:

Neither of those approaches seems very good. Just report the news. Nothing needs to be shaped.


And that is not what happens. What they feel SHOULD be the news is mostly reported.

That's why sane people do not blindly trust the media anymore.
Posted by RT1941
Member since May 2007
32079 posts
Posted on 5/20/26 at 4:35 pm to
quote:

It doesn’t seem like he even tried to do that though. Just an overall bad investment.
Do you have access to Bezo's financials or tax returns? How do you know he hasn't claimed losses on the Wapo business?
Posted by 4cubbies
Member since Sep 2008
61436 posts
Posted on 5/20/26 at 4:44 pm to
quote:

So why are you so predictably biased here?


Why do I post opinions on a discussion board?
Posted by 4cubbies
Member since Sep 2008
61436 posts
Posted on 5/20/26 at 4:46 pm to
Someone purchasing a failing business for $250 MM
just to claim losses is considered sound investing? Ok.
Posted by kilo
No block, no rock
Member since Oct 2011
30164 posts
Posted on 5/20/26 at 4:49 pm to
quote:

I have a journalism degree.


And a teacher?

The puzzle is now complete.
Posted by oldskule
Down South
Member since Mar 2016
25322 posts
Posted on 5/20/26 at 4:52 pm to
New agencies that are funded by one political party should be SHUT DOWN NOW!!!!!!!!

JB is doing the right thing.
Posted by jorconalx
alexandria
Member since Aug 2011
11060 posts
Posted on 5/20/26 at 4:52 pm to
quote:

It doesn’t seem like he even tried to do that though




You have no fricking clue what he tried or did not try to do
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