Jeff Bezos defends decision to end Washington Post's presidential endorsements

Jeff Bezos, the billionaire owner of Washington Post, whose decision to end presidential endorsements at the paper set off a firestorm last week, said Monday in his first comments about the change that it had been done to improve the newsroom's credibility, not to protect his own interests.

"Presidential endorsements do nothing to tip the scales of an election," Bezos wrote in an essay published on The Post's website. "What presidential endorsements actually do is create a perception of bias. A perception of non-independence. Ending them is a principled decision, and it's the right one."

The paper had announced the decision to end endorsements Friday. Some speculated that Bezos, who has owned the paper since 2013, was trying to gain favour with a potential Trump administration. The paper's editorial board had already drafted an endorsement of Kamala Harris.

Bezos said he had not and would not pursue his personal interests through his ownership of the Post, and "no quid pro quo of any kind is at work here." He said while he wished his decision had come earlier than it did, the timing was due to "inadequate planning, and not some intentional strategy."

Earlier Monday, three journalists said they were stepping down from the Post's editorial board. All three are staying at the paper in other roles.