Yachting Jeff Bezos Throws WaPo CEO Will Lewis a Lifeline (For Now)

While yachting in Mykonos, Jeff Bezos on Tuesday finally broke his silence and commented on the ongoing scandal surrounding the Washington Post.

In an emailed memo to senior editors, the vacationing billionaire reaffirmed his support for embattled Washington Post CEO Will Lewis, writing that “the journalistic standards and ethics at The Post will not change”—even as Lewis and his handpicked incoming editor have come under fire for their reporting practices in the U.K.

“Team – I know you’ve already heard this from Will, but I wanted to also weigh in directly: the journalistic standards and ethics at The Post will not change,” Bezos wrote in the memo obtained by The Daily Beast. “To be sure, it can’t be business as usual at The Post. The world is evolving rapidly and we do need to change as a business. With your support, we’ll do that and lead this great institution into the future. But, as the newsroom leaders who’ve been shaping and guiding our coverage, you also know our standards at The Post have always been very high.”

Bezos continued: “That can’t change—and it won’t. You have my full commitment on maintaining the quality, ethics, and standards we all believe in. A huge thank you for continuing to do the work that makes us all proud, and makes this institution so important.”

The memo, which was first reported by CNN, was sent to much of the Post’s masthead, including managing editors Matea Gold, Scott Vance, and Krissah Thompson. Bezos cc’d top editors Matt Murray and David Shipley—along with Lewis himself.

Bezos’ comments may not do much to quell a newsroom that’s resided in various states of dread and disgust after Lewis pushed out executive editor Sally Buzbee and installed two former colleagues—Murray and Telegraph editor Rob Winnett—to spearhead a new three-newsroom structure.

Since the restructuring earlier this month, reports from The Daily Beast, The New York Times, and the Post itself have highlighted how Lewis and Winnett relied on methods that violate both standard journalistic ethics and the Post’s own policies to report out stories in the U.K. Some of these practices include relying on a push for stolen documents and placing employees within government offices to scour for information.

“I don’t know how Will and Rob can stay on at this point,” a Post staffer told The Daily Beast on Monday. “ They have lost the entire newsroom.”

Lewis’ relationship with the newsroom plummeted earlier this month after multiple stories emerged over his attempts to kill negative stories related to Prince Harry’s lawsuit in the U.K., which alleged Lewis helped cover up News U.K.’s phone-hacking into celebrities including Harry and actor Hugh Grant.

The New York Times reported that Lewis criticized then-executive editor Buzbee’s plan to publish a story on the lawsuit involving Lewis, while NPR revealed a day later that Lewis promised the outlet an exclusive interview unveiling his business plans if it didn’t move forward with a December story outlining the U.K. case. Lewis and the Post have denied pressuring Buzbee to drop the story and Lewis lashed out at NPR reporter David Folkenfilk for his report, but he later walked back his attacks in meetings with staffers last week.

Still, those meetings didn’t offer much in the way of transparency. While Lewis outlined his plans for Winnett to shadow reporters and editors in the late summer before taking over the main newsroom in November, staffers told The Daily Beast he didn’t make quite clear how the “Third Newsroom,” as Lewis has repeatedly titled it, will function. Staffers were also unsure whether Lewis’ plans for Winnett to join the newsroom later this year would come to fruition.

Bezos’ note on Tuesday, however, indicates his respect for Lewis’ judgment will last a little longer.