Bezos’ Washington Post Rips Up Mission Statement Amid Staff Rebellion
The new internal mission statement after the paper rested its laurels on “democracy dies in darkness.”
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
After years of “democracy dies in the darkness,” The Washington Post now wants to play host to “riveting storytelling for all of America.”
The new mission statement was previewed to some staffers by Post chief strategy officer Suzi Watford in meetings this week, according to The New York Times.
The slogan is meant to be an internal rallying cry for the Post‘s journalists as the paper seeks to reach 200 million paying users, according to the Times, and will not replace the public “democracy” slogan used publicly, including on the paper’s homepage.
The sentiment falls in line with owner Jeff Bezos' reported desire to appeal to a wider swath of the country than those in coastal cities. But it comes as the paper has struggled to articulate a clear vision for its future, both to the public and its staff.
More than 400 reporters and editors signed an open letter to Bezos on Wednesday that urged him to meet with its staff and lay out his goals for saving the paper.
“We understand the need for change, and we are eager to deliver the news in innovate ways,” the staffers said. “But we need a clear vision we can believe in.”
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Bezos will be in D.C. next week for President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.
The vision seems to center around “storytelling,” according to a slide deck described to the Times. That includes “a relentless investigative spirit, backed by credible sources, to deliver impactful stories in formats the world wants.”
To do that requires the Post to “understand and represent interests across the country” and “provide a forum for viewpoints, expert perspectives and conversation.”
The Post‘s “democracy dies in darkness” slogan debuted to some ridicule in 2017, though it has since become a mantra for how the paper has produced its journalism.
Bezos coined the term after hearing Post legend Bob Woodward invoke it in a speech, former Post executive editor Marty Baron wrote in his 2023 memoir Collision of Power: Trump, Bezos, and The Washington Post. Its reach—and criticism—thrilled Bezos, Baron wrote.
“It’s a good sign when you’re the subject of satire,” Bezos said weeks after the announcement, according to Baron.
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