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CNN
2 days ago
- Business
- CNN
The Washington Post has a new Opinion editor four months after Bezos touted ‘significant shift'
The Washington Post on Wednesday announced it has a new Opinion editor. The move comes four months after it announced a 'significant shift' to the Opinion page and the departure of its embattled section chief. Adam O'Neal, who currently serves as The Economist's Washington correspondent, will take over as the Post's top Opinion editor, the outlet announced in an X post that includes an introductory video from O'Neal. 'We're also going to be stalwart advocates of free markets and personal liberties. We'll be unapologetically patriotic, too,' O'Neal said in the video. 'Our philosophy will be rooted in fundamental optimism about the future of this country.' The Opinion section won't 'lecture' readers about ideologies or 'demand you think certain ways about policy,' O'Neal said. The stance falls in line with the vision articulated four months prior by the Post's owner, billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Bezos also mentioned free markets and personal liberties when describing the section's new mandate, which drew backlash from some staffers — including from Marty Baron, the Post's revered former executive editor under whom the outlet won 11 Pulitzer Prizes — and praise from some conservatives. 'We are going to be writing every day in support and defense of two pillars: personal liberties and free markets,' Bezos wrote in a February X post. 'We'll cover other topics too of course, but viewpoints opposing those pillars will be left to be published by others.' As part of the February announcement, Bezos noted that David Shipley, O'Neal's predecessor, had been offered the opportunity to continue leading the section under the new directive but that Shipley had 'decided to step away.' Shipley's departure from the Post followed four months of mounting criticism from Post staffers and readers. The storied newspaper drew criticism for its eleventh-hour choice not to endorse then-Vice President Kamala Harris' presidential bid, which led to several editorial board members resigning and more than 200,000 subscribers canceling their digital subscriptions. Shipley also decided not to run a cartoon satirizing the relationship between Bezos and US President Donald Trump from Ann Telnaes, leading to the Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist's resignation. Since Shipley's departure, deputy Opinion editor Mary Duenwald has served as interim section chief. No start date has been announced for O'Neal. In a Wednesday email to staffers obtained by CNN, Will Lewis, the Post's chief executive and publisher, noted that O'Neal 'recognizes the importance of ensuring our opinion coverage is relevant, accessible, and consequential for readers who feel underserved.' 'His appointment is about more than just filling a role; it is about connecting our editorial voice to the real concerns and conversations happening across America,' Lewis said. Get Reliable Sources newsletter Sign up here to receive Reliable Sources with Brian Stelter in your inbox. In the email, Lewis similarly championed Bezos' mandate for the Opinion section: He said its new direction is not 'aligned to any political party' but instead presents 'an opportunity for our Opinion section to share the best of American values.' O'Neal's hiring comes just over two weeks after the Post offered voluntary buyouts to Opinion staffers, the Post's video and copy desks and any news employees who have been at the paper for 10 years or more. The buyout offers run through the end of July.
CNN
2 days ago
- Business
- CNN
The Washington Post has a new Opinion editor four months after Bezos touted ‘significant shift'
The Washington Post on Wednesday announced it has a new Opinion editor. The move comes four months after it announced a 'significant shift' to the Opinion page and the departure of its embattled section chief. Adam O'Neal, who currently serves as The Economist's Washington correspondent, will take over as the Post's top Opinion editor, the outlet announced in an X post that includes an introductory video from O'Neal. 'We're also going to be stalwart advocates of free markets and personal liberties. We'll be unapologetically patriotic, too,' O'Neal said in the video. 'Our philosophy will be rooted in fundamental optimism about the future of this country.' The Opinion section won't 'lecture' readers about ideologies or 'demand you think certain ways about policy,' O'Neal said. The stance falls in line with the vision articulated four months prior by the Post's owner, billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Bezos also mentioned free markets and personal liberties when describing the section's new mandate, which drew backlash from some staffers — including from Marty Baron, the Post's revered former executive editor under whom the outlet won 11 Pulitzer Prizes — and praise from some conservatives. 'We are going to be writing every day in support and defense of two pillars: personal liberties and free markets,' Bezos wrote in a February X post. 'We'll cover other topics too of course, but viewpoints opposing those pillars will be left to be published by others.' As part of the February announcement, Bezos noted that David Shipley, O'Neal's predecessor, had been offered the opportunity to continue leading the section under the new directive but that Shipley had 'decided to step away.' Shipley's departure from the Post followed four months of mounting criticism from Post staffers and readers. The storied newspaper drew criticism for its eleventh-hour choice not to endorse then-Vice President Kamala Harris' presidential bid, which led to several editorial board members resigning and more than 200,000 subscribers canceling their digital subscriptions. Shipley also decided not to run a cartoon satirizing the relationship between Bezos and US President Donald Trump from Ann Telnaes, leading to the Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist's resignation. Get Reliable Sources newsletter Sign up here to receive Reliable Sources with Brian Stelter in your inbox. Since Shipley's departure, deputy Opinion editor Mary Duenwald has served as interim section chief. No start date has been announced for O'Neal. In a Wednesday email to staffers obtained by CNN, Will Lewis, the Post's chief executive and publisher, noted that O'Neal 'recognizes the importance of ensuring our opinion coverage is relevant, accessible, and consequential for readers who feel underserved.' 'His appointment is about more than just filling a role; it is about connecting our editorial voice to the real concerns and conversations happening across America,' Lewis said. In the email, Lewis similarly championed Bezos' mandate for the Opinion section: He said its new direction is not 'aligned to any political party' but instead presents 'an opportunity for our Opinion section to share the best of American values.' O'Neal's hiring comes just over two weeks after the Post offered voluntary buyouts to Opinion staffers, the Post's video and copy desks and any news employees who have been at the paper for 10 years or more. The buyout offers run through the end of July.
CNN
2 days ago
- Business
- CNN
The Washington Post has a new Opinion editor four months after Bezos touted ‘significant shift'
The Washington Post on Wednesday announced it has a new Opinion editor. The move comes four months after it announced a 'significant shift' to the Opinion page and the departure of its embattled section chief. Adam O'Neal, who currently serves as The Economist's Washington correspondent, will take over as the Post's top Opinion editor, the outlet announced in an X post that includes an introductory video from O'Neal. 'We're also going to be stalwart advocates of free markets and personal liberties. We'll be unapologetically patriotic, too,' O'Neal said in the video. 'Our philosophy will be rooted in fundamental optimism about the future of this country.' The Opinion section won't 'lecture' readers about ideologies or 'demand you think certain ways about policy,' O'Neal said. The stance falls in line with the vision articulated four months prior by the Post's owner, billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Bezos also mentioned free markets and personal liberties when describing the section's new mandate, which drew backlash from some staffers — including from Marty Baron, the Post's revered former executive editor under whom the outlet won 11 Pulitzer Prizes — and praise from some conservatives. 'We are going to be writing every day in support and defense of two pillars: personal liberties and free markets,' Bezos wrote in a February X post. 'We'll cover other topics too of course, but viewpoints opposing those pillars will be left to be published by others.' As part of the February announcement, Bezos noted that David Shipley, O'Neal's predecessor, had been offered the opportunity to continue leading the section under the new directive but that Shipley had 'decided to step away.' Shipley's departure from the Post followed four months of mounting criticism from Post staffers and readers. The storied newspaper drew criticism for its eleventh-hour choice not to endorse then-Vice President Kamala Harris' presidential bid, which led to several editorial board members resigning and more than 200,000 subscribers canceling their digital subscriptions. Shipley also decided not to run a cartoon satirizing the relationship between Bezos and US President Donald Trump from Ann Telnaes, leading to the Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist's resignation. Get Reliable Sources newsletter Sign up here to receive Reliable Sources with Brian Stelter in your inbox. Since Shipley's departure, deputy Opinion editor Mary Duenwald has served as interim section chief. No start date has been announced for O'Neal. In a Wednesday email to staffers obtained by CNN, Will Lewis, the Post's chief executive and publisher, noted that O'Neal 'recognizes the importance of ensuring our opinion coverage is relevant, accessible, and consequential for readers who feel underserved.' 'His appointment is about more than just filling a role; it is about connecting our editorial voice to the real concerns and conversations happening across America,' Lewis said. In the email, Lewis similarly championed Bezos' mandate for the Opinion section: He said its new direction is not 'aligned to any political party' but instead presents 'an opportunity for our Opinion section to share the best of American values.' O'Neal's hiring comes just over two weeks after the Post offered voluntary buyouts to Opinion staffers, the Post's video and copy desks and any news employees who have been at the paper for 10 years or more. The buyout offers run through the end of July.
New York Times
2 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Washington Post Names Adam O'Neal as Opinion Editor
The Washington Post said Wednesday that it had hired Adam O'Neal, a correspondent from The Economist, to be its next opinion editor. Mr. O'Neal will be charged with carrying out a new direction for the section laid out by Jeff Bezos, the owner of The Washington Post: to champion 'personal liberties and free markets.' Before joining The Economist, Mr. O'Neal was an editorial page writer at The Wall Street Journal, where the opinion pages are reliably conservative. Mr. O'Neal, 33, introduced himself to readers in a brief video posted by The Post's public relations account, saying he had 'been a journalist for a while,' adding that the section would be 'unapologetically patriotic' and use 'technology to improve our journalism.' 'Odds are, you've probably never heard of me and you might be wondering: Who am I?' Mr. O'Neal said. Mr. O'Neal replaces David Shipley, who resigned this year after Mr. Bezos decided to adjust the section's ideological range. The Post's opinion section has a history of publishing a plurality of political views, but Mr. Bezos sought to narrow its focus to emphasize economic and personal liberty. The Post's opinion section has been in tumult for much of the past year. Just before the presidential election in November, The Post ended its tradition of endorsing presidential candidates, a decision that drew outcry from readers and several opinion staffers. Soon after, The Post's Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist, Ann Telnaes, quit after a cartoon critical of Mr. Bezos was spiked. Next came Mr. Shipley's departure, another jolt to the staff. Will Lewis, the chief executive of The Post, said in a memo to employees that Mr. O'Neal 'embodies our core values' and recognized 'the importance of ensuring our opinion coverage is relevant, accessible and consequential for readers who feel underserved.' 'Our new direction is not a short-term shift nor is it aligned to any political party,' Mr. Lewis wrote. The Washington Post has recently been exploring a plan to sharply increase the number of opinion columns posted on its website. Known internally as Ripple, the project calls for The Post to publish content from other news organizations, Substack authors and even nonprofessional writers. A later stage of the plan calls for contributors to create columns with guidance from an A.I. editing tool called 'Ember,' which has not yet debuted. The new project will operate separately from the traditional opinion section that Mr. O'Neal will oversee.
