Ruth Marcus, a longtime editor of The Washington Post’s editorial page, resigned after accusing CEO Will Lewis of blocking her editorial criticizing the paper’s new direction. Marcus, who worked at the paper for over 40 years, claimed in an email obtained by Semafor’s Maxwell Tani that her attempt to publish a dissenting op-ed was rejected.
In her departure note, Marcus stated that Lewis scrapped an editorial “expressing concern about the newly announced direction for the section.” The change came after Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos announced in February that the editorial section would prioritize “personal liberties and free markets” and would not publish criticism of those two core principles.
Marcus alleged that this shift dangerously compromised editorial freedom. She wrote to Bezos and Lewis, saying, “The traditional freedom of columnists to select the topics they wish to address and say what they think has been dangerously eroded.” She also warned that restricting dissenting views would harm the paper’s credibility with readers.
Marcus had been with The Washington Post since 1984, starting as an editorial writer and columnist before becoming deputy editorial page editor in 2016. Her resignation follows a growing pattern of high-profile departures from the paper. Multiple employees previously resigned after the editorial board chose not to endorse Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.
The incident highlights ongoing tensions in mainstream media over editorial independence and ideological shifts. Bezos’s move to reframe The Washington Post’s opinion section underscores broader transformations within the publication, sparking debate over the balance between ownership influence and journalistic integrity.
