Former Washington Post exec Marty Baron blasts ‘gutless’ Bezos amid massive layoffs

Marty Baron, former editor-in-chief of The Washington Post, went straight to its owner Jeff Bezos on Wednesday as the newspaper announced layoffs.

“This ranks among the worst days in the history of the world’s largest news organization,” Baron said in a statement posted on social media. “The Washington Post’s ambitions will be greatly diminished, its talented and courageous staff will be greatly diminished, and the public will be denied the fact-based reporting our communities and around the world need more than ever.”

Baron acknowledged “major business challenges” and a “very disruptive” time for the news space, saying “innovation is needed.”

WASHINGTON POST CLOSING SPORTS DEPARTMENT AS PART OF CONSUMER SWEEP

“The Post’s challenges, however, are made worse by poorly thought-out decisions from the top — from the reckless order to kill the president’s endorsement 11 days before the 2024 election to a rewrite of the editorial page that now stands out only for its moral weakness,” Baron wrote. “Loyal readers, furious as they saw owner Jeff Bezos betraying the values ​​he was supposed to uphold, fled The Post. In fact, they were fired, by the hundreds of thousands.”

He continued, “The owner, in a letter to readers, wrote that he intends to increase the trust of The Post. The result was something else entirely: Subscribers lost confidence in his management and, despite the stellar journalism of the newsroom, The Post in general. Similarly, many leading journalists in The Post lost confidence in Bezos, and jumped to other news organizations, and fired attempts to get fired. And President Trump left a bad stain especially for them.

WASHINGTON STAFF FEEL ‘CHECKED’ LIKE POLICE, DEMAND ROCK BILLIONAIRE JEFF BEZOS’ DEPOSIT

Former Washington Post editor-in-chief Marty Baron has hit out at the paper’s owner, billionaire Jeff Bezos, in a bitter response to being laid off. (Henry NicholsAFP via Getty Images; Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Baron went on to say that he was grateful for Bezos’ “unwavering support” while he led the newspaper as its managing editor from 2013-2021, saying that Bezos “came under brutal pressure from Trump” but “spoke forcefully and creatively about the free press and the mission of The Post.”

“I wish I got the same spirit today. There’s no sign of it,” Baron said. “Like many others, I would like to hear the owner and publisher he appoints present a current vision that offers hope for financial stability and growth, that shows imagination and creativity, that honors The Post’s legacy, shows appreciation for its remarkable staff and demonstrates a strong sense of purpose. It is years overdue.”

The Washington Post did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

FINANCIAL OFFICERS IN WASHINGTON ACCUSE JEFF BEZOS OF TRYING TO ‘SURVIVE’ TRUMP RATHER THAN KEEPING PAPER.

Washington Post staff have turned to speaking directly with billionaire owner Jeff Bezos amid widespread speculation that major layoffs are imminent. (Stefano Rellandini/AFP via Getty Images)

The paper “Democracy Dies in Darkness” announced full layoffs on Wednesday and all doors were closed in what the company called a “major restructuring.”

The Post is closing the sports desk in its current form, scaling back its international footprint, making its Metro division “leaner and more focused” and eliminating its books division. A third of the company is affected, Fox News Digital has learned.

Fox News’ Brian Flood contributed to this report.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS PROGRAM