Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Eugene Robinson announced his resignation from The Washington Post on Thursday, citing the “significant shift” in the newspaper’s mission under owner Jeff Bezos as his reason for departing after 45 years with the publication.
“The announced ‘significant shift’ in our section’s mission has spurred me to decide that it’s time for my next chapter,” Robinson wrote in a memo to fellow staffers. “I wish nothing but the very best for the paper and for all of you. I won’t be a stranger, and I’ll be reading your unparalleled work every single day.”
Robinson, who joined the newspaper in 1980 and began writing for the opinion section in 2005, is the third prominent Washington Post staffer to leave following Bezos’ February announcement that the publication’s opinion pages would shift coverage to better reflect American values like “personal liberties” and “free markets.”
The exodus began with opinion editor David Shipley, who resigned immediately when the revamp was announced. Veteran columnist Ruth Marcus followed in March, departing after she said publisher Will Lewis “spiked” a column she wrote expressing concerns about Bezos’ new direction for the opinion section.
Bezos, who acquired The Washington Post in 2013 and also owns Amazon, has faced criticism from current and former journalists at the paper for steering it toward what many perceive as a more centrist position. The billionaire’s February directive specifically stated that the opinion section would now focus solely on supporting personal liberties and free markets, with opposing viewpoints to be published elsewhere.
The decision represents a significant departure from the newspaper’s traditional approach of publishing a wide range of perspectives. Former Washington Post executive editor Marty Baron has been among the vocal critics of these changes, particularly after Bezos blocked the editorial board from endorsing Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.
At the time, Bezos defended his decision, arguing that endorsing Harris would have added a “perception of bias” to the Post’s coverage. The newspaper owner has framed the opinion section’s shift in both ideological and practical terms, suggesting that viewpoints supporting personal liberties and free markets are underserved in the current media landscape.
William Lewis, the Post’s publisher and CEO, has maintained that the changes are not about siding with any political party but rather about being “crystal clear about what we stand for as a newspaper.”
Robinson, who won a Pulitzer Prize in 2009 for his columns on the 2008 presidential campaign focusing on Barack Obama’s rise to the presidency, has been one of the paper’s most vocal critics of President Donald Trump. In February, he wrote that Trump “tramples the Constitution, vandalizes the federal government and trashes our vital international alliances.”
In addition to his newspaper career, Robinson is the author of books including “Coal to Cream: A Black Man’s Journey Beyond Color to an Affirmation of Race” and “Last Dance in Havana.” While leaving The Washington Post, he will continue his role as chief political analyst at NBC News and MSNBC.
A Washington Post spokesperson acknowledged Robinson’s contributions in a statement: “For 45 years, his reporting and commentary spanned continents and beats, earning countless recognitions, including a Pulitzer Prize. Eugene’s strong perspective and impeccable integrity have regularly shaped our public discourse, cementing his legacy as a leading voice in American journalism.”
The changes at The Washington Post come during a period of transformation for the media outlet. According to reports, the newspaper touted an increase of 400,000 subscriptions during a meeting earlier this week, but also lost more than 75,000 subscriptions following the opinion page overhaul.
The White House has weighed in on the changes at the Post, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt commending Bezos for the new direction. Leavitt suggested the mainstream media, including the Post, is “finally learning” that “having disdain for more than half of the country who supports this president does not help you sell newspapers.”
Media analysts note that Bezos’ decision to limit the Post’s opinion section to specific viewpoints reflects broader trends in the industry, with some seeing it as a return to the more partisan approach of early American journalism, when newspapers openly aligned with particular political positions.
These developments at one of America’s most prestigious newspapers have sparked debate about the role of editorial independence in modern journalism and the influence of wealthy owners on media institutions’ editorial directions. As the Washington Post continues its transformation under Bezos’ ownership, the departure of veteran journalists like Robinson marks a significant chapter in the evolving landscape of American journalism.
