Bezos says Washington Post to 'lean into future'

Bezos, speaking at the dedication of the new Post

headquarters in the US capital in what was his first major public appearance as owner, said the future of the respected daily will depend on a strong technology team as well as its dedication to journalism.

One of the world's richest individuals with a fortune estimated at more than $50 billion, Bezos is under scrutiny in the media world as he seeks to guide the newspaper through a transition to digital.

"I am a huge fan of leaning into the future," said Bezos, who snapped up the struggling newspaper in 2013 for $250 million in personal funds and has been investing in both the newsroom and in technology.

"It's a little risky to let nostalgia transition into glamorizing the past," he warned.

At the same time, Bezos said the Post should not lose sight of its great tradition and its historic role in American journalism.

He has previously stated he wanted to make the Post "the new paper of record," in a direct challenge to The New York Times.

"It's important to recognize that you don't want everything to change," he said at a ceremony which included US Secretary of State John Kerry and recently freed Tehran correspondent Jason Rezaian.

Read more at: https://phys.org/news/2016-01-bezos-washington-future.html#jCp