Not only did the sale of The Washington Post to Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos entice the journalism world, it also shocked the community where it is published.
The hometown newspaper of the nation’s capital city is no longer locally owned.
The Graham family, who have controlled the paper from 1933 until Monday, have been known for their engagement in local affairs, pushing for urban renewal and educational reform.
While some are upset by the sale to an out-of-town businessman, they are still hopeful that Bezos will uphold the paper’s journalistic traditions.
“I was not prepared to see my hometown newspaper, which has outlived its rivals, sold to somebody from across the other side of the world as far as we are concerned,” said Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, the District of Columbia’s longtime congressional representative and a third-generation Washingtonian. “It might be called Washington, but it’s not the same thing.”
Mayor Vincent Gray said in a statement that he was “honored to have worked with Dan Graham and the Graham family.” Gray also praised Bezos as “a pioneer and a visionary.”
