The writing was on the wall. William Lewis, publisher of The Washington Post, and blue-eyed boy of its owner, Jeff Bezos, scarcely attended meetings with the editorial staff of the venerable newspaper since he took over in early 2024. Last year, he said that the opinion pages would defend “two pillars: personal liberties and free markets”. It should have come as little surprise then that the Post has now led what is widely being described as a “bloodbath” for quality journalism. The fate of the Post is a cautionary tale and its moral is this: while democracy may die in darkness, the free press dies in broad daylight.

Source: The Hindu February 05, 2026 20:11 UTC