Ruth Marcus Resigns from Washington Post Over Editorial Direction Under Jeff Bezos

The veteran columnist left the paper after 40 years, citing concerns about increasing interference and a shift toward prioritizing personal freedoms and free markets in opinion content.

Ruth Marcus, a columnist with over 40 years at the Washington Post, resigned in protest of owner Jeff Bezos's growing influence on editorial decisions.
The resignation followed the decision by publisher William Lewis to block a column in which Marcus criticized the paper's new editorial direction.
Jeff Bezos announced in February that the opinion section would focus on personal freedoms and free markets, with opposing viewpoints excluded from publication.
Marcus expressed concerns that this shift undermines the editorial independence of columnists and risks eroding reader trust.
The changes have sparked broader dissent, with the opinion editor resigning earlier and over 75,000 digital subscribers canceling their subscriptions within 48 hours of Bezos's announcement.