Due to recent events, billionaire media owners Jeff Bezos and Patrick Soon-Shiong have reportedly paused their planned promotions of Vice President Kamala Harris at their newspapers, The Washington Post and The Los Angeles Times.

Their decisions irritated not only the general public but in addition their very own employees.

According to Robert Kagan, a longtime columnist for this newspaper and editor-in-chief of the Post’s opinion section, he resigned in protest and a gaggle of 11 Washington Post columnists wrote a letter critical of the newspaper’s decision.

Meanwhile, The Post’s publisher and CEO, William Lewis, said in a column published Oct. 25 that the choice to not endorse Harris is a return to the newspaper’s roots of not endorsing a selected candidate.

“We know this will be perceived in many ways, including as a tacit endorsement of one candidate, a condemnation of another, or an abdication of responsibility,” Lewis wrote. “It’s inevitable. We don’t see it that way. We consider that is consistent with the values ​​The Post has all the time stood for.

Indeed, in line with Jarvis DeBerry, opinion editor at , the alternatives made by Lewis, Bezos and Soon-Shiong are “an argument against billionaires buying newspapers”

Like Kagan on the Post, Mariel Garza, editorial editor on the Los Angeles Times, resigned in protest. Garza later said, “I’m resigning because I want to make it clear that I don’t like our silence. In dangerous times, honest people must stand up. This is how I stand.”

In addition to Garza, two more opinion editors at The LA Times also resigned over the choice to finish their endorsement of Harris.

Marty Baron, former editor-in-chief of The Washington Post, responded scathingly to Lewis’ statement on Twitter. “This is cowardice, the victim of which is democracy,” Baron wrote.

Baron indicated that Trump would “take this as an invitation to further intimidate” Bezos, and Baron characterised the choice to withdraw support as “a disturbing lack of spine in an institution renowned for courage.”

DeBerry concluded his comments by indicting the ultra-wealthy owners of each newspapers.

“Yes, there would be hell to pay if the newspaper supported Harris’ victory and Trump then turned on the press as he promised,” DeBerry wrote.

He continued: “But vulnerable people are much more likely to face hell. “It is inexcusable that the ultra-wealthy who have purchased these massive and influential platforms appear to care more about their own interests than the interests of the readers they serve.”

In addition to Baron, The Washington Post Guild, the union representing The Post’s journalists, issued a press release regarding Lewis’ comments.

“We are deeply concerned that The Washington Post, an American news organization based within the nation’s capital, will determine to stop supporting presidential candidates, especially just 11 days before a critical election. The editorial board’s role is to do exactly that: to share our views on news that impacts our society and culture, and to support candidates who will help readers,” the guild wrote.

They continued: “The message from our chief executive, Will Lewis, rather than from the newsroom itself, raises our concerns that management has interfered with the work of our members in the newsroom. According to our reporters and Guild members, an endorsement draft for Harris has already been drafted and the decision not to publish was made by The Post’s owner, Jeff Bezos. We are already seeing churn from once-loyal readers. This decision undermines the work of our members at a time when we should be building the trust of our readers, not losing it.”

Beyoncé has officially endorsed Kamala Harris for president, a strong show of support she made loud and clear at a rally in Houston on Friday. In front of an enthusiastic hometown audience, she joined Harris to defend reproductive rights, delivering a message that resonated on a deeply personal level.

“I’m not here as a star; I’m not here as a politician. I am here as a mother,” she shared with the enthusiastic crowd. “A mother who cares deeply about the world in which my children and all our children live, a world in which we have the freedom to control our bodies, a world in which we are not divided.” She urged: “Imagine our daughters growing up and seeing what is possible without ceilings and limitations. We need to vote and we need you.”

As if that wasn’t enough to bring the gang to their knees, Beyoncé was joined by best friend and Destiny’s Child bandmate Kelly Rowland to cheer her on. With the energy only Bey could bring, she introduced Vice President Harris with a plea: “It’s time for America to sing a new song. Our voices sing a chorus of unity. They sing a song of dignity and possibility. Are you ready to add your voice to a new American song?” The crowd roared in response as she concluded, “Ladies and gentlemen, please give a big and loud welcome to Texas for the next president of the United States, Vice President Kamala Harris.”

This time there was no performance – leaving a rally for Hillary Clinton in 2016. Instead, the highlight was on the presence and words of Beyoncé, who fully supported Harris’ message. Since July, Harris’ campaign has featured Beyoncé’s powerful anthem “Freedom” from the album , a song rooted within the spirit of resistance and resilience, reflecting Southern Black spirituality. The rally highlighted Harris’ fight against Texas’ restrictive abortion laws, a central issue of her platform.

Harris addressed the gang, emphasizing the urgent need to defend freedom within the face of threat. “We know that freedom cannot be given. It should not be broadcast. This is our right and we are ready to fight for it,” she said. “We have to be loud. We have to organize ourselves. We have to mobilize. We need to get energized.”

Other big names graced the rally, including: legendary Texan Willie Nelson and former speaker Jessica Alba. But it was Beyoncé’s influential appearance and words as a mother, a Texan and a black woman that set the decisive tone in a race that’s shaping up to be a decisive 12 months in 2024.