The memory clung to Martin Baron like the scent of old newsprint: Jeff Bezos, during his early days overseeing The Washington Post, repeatedly expressed a profound hope. He envisioned the newspaper’s flourishing as a legacy he would cherish above many others – a testament to his impact beyond rockets and retail.
Baron, the former executive editor, now observes a stark contrast. A palpable shift has occurred within the Post’s walls, a fading of the very ambition Bezos once championed. He searches for evidence of that initial, fervent spirit, but finds only a void.
His assessment isn’t subtle. There’s a distinct absence of the drive, the dedication, the unwavering belief in the power of journalism that characterized the Post under Bezos’s initial vision. The feeling, he conveys, is one of a promise unfulfilled, a potential tragically unrealized.
It’s a quiet lament from a man who steered the paper through a period of significant growth and recognition. The silence where that ambition once resonated speaks volumes, hinting at a deeper, more troubling transformation within the institution.
