“The Founding Fathers gave the free press the protection it must have to bare the secrets of government and inform the people.” – Former Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black

The newspaper industry stands alone as the only business explicitly protected by the U.S. Constitution.

The framers included the First Amendment to ensure that journalists could relentlessly shine a light into the dark corners of government, exposing corruption, malfeasance, and abuses of power. The amendment was not intended to serve as a shield for the wealthy to turn newspapers into vanity projects, profit engines, or tools to curry favor with politicians.

Jeff Bezos’ ownership of The Washington Post undermines this principle.

A newspaper of such historic importance should not be a billionaire’s asset—one that risks turning public trust into private leverage.

It must be entrusted to leadership committed solely to independent, fair, and accurate journalism, free from even the perception of influence.

Bezos should sell The Washington Post. Until he does, Americans who care about the integrity of a free press should consider boycotting Amazon.