Reports show that Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos and his top EU skipped a film screening about the legendary publisher of the paper, Katherine Graham.
Will Lewis, current publisher and CEO of the Washington Post, and executive editor Matt Murray, did not stand out at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, premiere on Sunday evening, “Become Catherine Graham.” The New York Times reported.
Bezos wasn't there either – he chose to attend the Academy Awards in Los Angeles instead.
A Washington Post spokesman declined to comment, but a source close to the situation told the New York Post that both Murray and Lewis were unable to attend the organizers.
Murray had missed work last week due to a match against the flu, sources told The New York Post.
Those who attended the star-studded event include Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, Carlyle Group boss David Rubenstein, journalists Andrea Mitchell, Judy Woodruff and Kaitlan Collins.
Graham, who passed away in 2001, led the Washington Post from 1963 to 1991. During that period, newspapers evolved from local outlets to something that has exerted national influence following the publication of Watergate Scandal and Pentagon papers.
The no-shows by the paper's leaders were considered notable given the newspapers' upheaval in recent months.
The Amazon mogul, who bought the Washington Post from the Grahams in 2013 for $250 million in cash, announced last week that the opinion section of the newspaper would be dedicated to defending “personal freedom” and “free markets.”
The move prompted the resignation of newspaper opinion editor David Shipley. Over 75,000 readers have reported cancelling their subscriptions.
Bezos also blocked the editorial board from supporting former vice president and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris a few weeks before the November 5 election.
The move has led tens of thousands of readers to cancel their subscriptions.
Bezos' decision to hire Lewis as a publisher was also filled with surprises from newsroom employees.
When he took over the publishing house last June, Lewis appointed Murray as executive editor and replaced Sally Buzby.
Lewis and Murray were top executives of the Wall Street Journal before being taken to the Washington Post by Bezos. The Journal is a sister publication of the New York Post.
The sudden transition from Buzby to Murray has caused anxiety among employees, particularly due to the lack of a formal search process and the perception that internal candidates are being overlooked.
