Jeff Bezos
The Washington Post’s opinion editor has stepped down after Jeff Bezos announced shifts to the paper's opinions section, but Elon Musk surprises many by showing his support for the changes. X / Zamir Mohyedin @zamirmohyedin

A shake-up in The Washington Post's opinion section has resulted in the departure of a key editor. The changes come as owner Jeff Bezos implements a new direction—one that has unexpectedly earned praise from Elon Musk.

Amid recent turbulence at the publication, Bezos announced that the opinion pages will now prioritise personal liberties and free markets. 'Viewpoints opposing those pillars will be left to be published by others,' he wrote on X.

Why Bezos Changed Course

'I shared this note with the Washington Post team this morning: I'm writing to let you know about a change coming to our opinion pages,' he wrote. 'We are going to be writing every day in support and defence of two pillars: personal liberties and free markets.'

'We'll cover other topics too, of course, but viewpoints opposing those pillars will be left to be published by others,' the 61-year-old businessman added. Reuters reported that Bezos justified the move in a Wednesday memo to employees by claiming those viewpoints are not adequately present in the current media landscape.

'I am of America and for America, and proud to be so,' he wrote. 'Our country did not get here by being typical. And a big part of America's success has been freedom in the economic realm and everywhere else.'

Washington Post Editor Steps Down

The Washington Post's editorial page editor, David Shipley, left his position following Bezos's policy change. Bezos stated that he offered Shipley the chance to stay and guide the Post's fresh approach, but 'after careful consideration, David decided to step away.'

'I offered David Shipley, whom I greatly admire, the opportunity to lead this new chapter. I suggested to him that if the answer wasn't "hell yes," then it had to be "no." After careful consideration, David decided to step away.'

'This is a significant shift, it won't be easy, and it will require 100% commitment — I respect his decision. We'll be searching for a new Opinion Editor to own this new direction,' Bezos said.

A Surprising Endorsement

Though some online users criticised the change, Tesla CEO and Trump advisor Elon Musk supported Bezos. In a post on X, Musk, who also leads SpaceX, commented one word on Bezos' decision. Reposting the X post, Musk tagged his space rival and added a one-word reaction: 'Bravo.'

The exchange sparked more discussion online. Responding to Musk's comment, one X user remarked, 'Look at Elon setting the trends!' Another added, 'Mark and Jeff Bezos effortlessly adapt to the new situation.'

Musk-Bezos Ties Grow As Washington Post Drops Anti-Musk Ad

In a sign of warming ties between Musk and Bezos, The Washington Post recently pulled a planned print ad from two advocacy groups demanding Musk's removal as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

The scrapped wrap ad—one of two purchased for £11838.90 ($115,000) by Common Cause and the Southern Poverty Law Center Action Fund—was set to run Tuesday. It featured the White House superimposed over Musk against a bright red backdrop with the caption, 'Who's running this country: Donald Trump or Elon Musk?'

The ad claimed Musk had 'created chaos and confusion' and 'is accountable to no one by himself.' The wrap also notes that 'The Constitution only allows for one president at a time.'

A spokesperson told CNN that after submitting the ad artwork to The Washington Post on 11th February, Common Cause was informed three days later that the paper could not run the wrap. The advocacy groups had already signed a contract with the Post and were awaiting final approval before making the payment.

When the advocacy group asked the Jeff Bezos-owned publication if any modifications could make the wrap more acceptable, they were told the Post couldn't run it. The second ad, set to appear in Tuesday's print edition, carried a similar message, featuring a full-page photo of Musk with the caption 'No one elected Elon Musk to any office.' While the Post was willing to publish this ad, Common Cause opted to pull it and walked away.

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