Matt Murray, who took over as executive editor of The Washington Post more than a year ago when Sally Buzbee stepped down, says owner Jeff Bezos has had “zero meddling” in the paper’s news operation as it undergoes a major overhaul at a precarious time for the legacy newspaper.
Murray, WaPo’s editor in chief from 2018 until 2023, gave a rare interview published Sunday night by Status, the newsletter from former CNN media correspondent Oliver Darcy. “First, there is zero meddling from Jeff on the news report,” Murray said. “Full stop.”
Murray took the reins of the Post in June, less than five months before the 2024 election. Bezos’ directive to not endorse Kamala Harris – or any candidate – tanked readership and staff morale, leading to a swift exodus of both talent and subscriptions. Murray told Status things have stabilized since then, with a fresh infusion of talent, a reinvigoration of the veterans who stayed and “lots of scoops” coming out of the Pentagon.
“Distress had built up over a long time,” Murray told Status. “Change is disruptive, but we’ve made great progress on an ambitious plan to reinvent The Post as the most trusted, accurate news organization in the world.”
Murray says audience data, digital emphasis and “a culture of candor, measurement and experimentation” has helped the paper find its footing again.
He says the paper’s transformation is “still a work in progress, but better than people think. Some unease is natural in a company midstream on change, especially in a turbulent industry. The news cycle is intense. The job is intimidating. But I’m proud of our staff doing impactful work and challenging themselves to build our future.
As for the pace of top staff departures: “I’m always disappointed when people leave. But I’ve seen these cycles before — people get poached, they’re tired, or they don’t like the direction. If that’s how they feel, they should go. … Veterans are seizing new opportunities. New hires have brought a wider perspective. Collaboration and use of data have improved. This energy is showing in our coverage.”
Of a recent meeting with Bezos, Murray said the Amazon founder is “very engaged at a high level in pushing us to think bigger about growth. He’s more ambitious for The Post than anyone.”
As for the use of A.I., Murray says models like ChatGPT are “having profound effects on every stage of newsgathering. We’re experimenting with products and looking at ways it can boost reporting and processes. But great journalism will always be human-driven reporting, perspective and insight that A.I. can’t replace.”
