Jeff Bezos, please sell the Washington Post.  

By his own admission, Bezos is not the ideal owner for the paper. He has significant business interests that are far more valuable and profitable than the Post, and he owes it to the stakeholders in those companies (along with the Post's stakeholders as well) to provide them with leadership that avoids any appearance of a conflict of interest, along with the potential for such a conflict in the future. 

I don't believe that Jeff Bezos is corrupt, criminal, or evil. He's proven himself to be a capable, astute, innovative, and occasionally ruthless, businessman that has made lots of money, not only for himself, but for many other people as well, through his unprecedented development of Amazon. Reasonable people can disagree about his behavior with regard to anti-trust laws and organized labor, but despite these debates, history will likely remember him for his tremendous and paradigm-shifting contribution to US and global commerce, in addition to any strides he might make in the exploration and commercialization of space in the coming decades. 

His massive interests in both Amazon and Blue Origin will always take precedence over the significantly smaller investment and profit potential of the Washington Post (as they likely should). His latest controversy regarding his editorial interference with the publication, his suspiciously timed refusal to publish their endorsement in the 2024 presidential election, is likely a harbinger of things to come. Every time he interferes (or is even perceived to have interfered) with the Post's editorial independence, his motives will be questioned, and regardless of the truth, the situation will only damage the Post's credibility, along with that of Bezos himself. 

The Graham family built a journalistic behemoth that was known worldwide for it's integrity, credibility, and dedication to publishing the truth, regardless of the potential consequences. When he purchased the paper in 2013 much of it's value, beyond it's tangible assets, was derived from that reputation.  Bezos is now at risk of obliterating that reputation, and any value lost will be minute compared to the potential gains or losses of his other holdings the next time he faces an editorial decision that could be perceived by the public as favorable to Amazon or Blue Origin. 

I have a couple of suggestions for Mr. Bezos as he ponders his options:

Mr. Bezos, Sir, you could sell the Post outright and put your proceeds toward a purchase of the Seattle Seahawks. The NFL club will likely soon be on the market, and you are uniquely positioned to purchase the franchise that is the hometown team to the same city that is home to Amazon. If you approach NFL ownership with the same shrewd tenacity that you've shown in your other pursuits, you can build on Paul Allen's legacy and give the people of Seattle, and Seahawks fans everywhere, a perpetually competitive franchise while only adding to the NFL's amazing profitability. 

Alternately, if you still want to participate in the future profits of the Washington Post, you could donate 50.1% of the ownership (retaining the rest for yourself) to a nonprofit foundation, one dedicated to upholding the journalistic standards that the Post has been known for. The foundation could be run by a board comprised of some of the Post's most venerable veterans, along with other trusted public figures and media professionals that would see to the Post's independence and integrity. (As a minority owner, I'd have no objection to you retaining a permanent seat on the foundation board, helping to guide it's journalism and philanthropy, along with the other dozen or so members). The foundation's share of the profits could be reinvested into the Post, or donated to causes that will further press freedom both here and abroad.

If you also think that the best thing Jeff Bezos can do for himself, for the Washington Post, for his other companies and stakeholders, and for the American public, is for him to sell the Washington Post, the please sign this petition.