Washington Post Columnist Joe Davidson Quits Over Bezos’s Editorial Constraints

Veteran columnist Joe Davidson has parted ways with The Washington Post, citing stifling editorial constraints under its billionaire owner, Jeff Bezos. After two decades at the paper, including 17 years penning the Federal Insider column, Davidson announced his exit, unable to reconcile with policies that he believes curb critical voices. In a candid Facebook post titled Quitting The Washington Post -- or did it quit me?, he revealed that a column was spiked for being 'too opinionated,' a move reflecting a new, unwritten policy banning commentary in news sections.

Davidson pointed to a broader shift at the Post, where he sees Bezos’s influence casting a shadow over journalistic independence. While not directly implicating Bezos in his column’s rejection, Davidson noted the billionaire’s pre-election decision to block an endorsement of Kamala Harris, a move that triggered a wave of resignations and subscriber cancellations. 'The image of a Trump supplicant isn’t hard to spot,' Davidson quipped, alluding to Bezos’s cozying up to the former president. He also criticized the inconsistent enforcement of the no-opinion policy, pointing out that terms like 'viciousness' and 'cruelty' slipped through in other writers’ work, while his description of a federal pay raise as 'well-deserved' was censored.

The axed column, which highlighted Trump’s 'ominous attack on thought, belief, and speech,' included examples like the administration’s push to deport anti-Israel activists and dismantle DEI initiatives. For Davidson, these restrictions stripped his column ascendancy as a columnist. 'A column without commentary is like a burger without the patty,' he joked, underscoring his frustration with the new rules. Despite his departure, Davidson vowed to keep supporting his former colleagues’ work by maintaining his subscription, even as he acknowledged readers who canceled theirs in protest of Bezos’s influence.

The Post’s recent turmoil—marked by subscriber backlash and resignations, including that of opinion editor David Shipley—reflects deeper tensions. Bezos’s push for editorials championing 'personal liberties and free markets' has fueled perceptions of a rightward tilt, though Davidson insists the paper’s Trump coverage remains robust. As the Post navigates this storm, Davidson’s exit signals a troubling question: can a newsroom thrive when its voice is muzzled?