The American newspaper “The Washington Post" once again published an editorial full of harsh accusations against Azerbaijan. The newspaper allegedly claimed that there is no freedom of speech in Azerbaijan, politically motivated arrests are taking place in the country and cases of corruption are widespread.
The fact here is that some circles in the U.S. are worried about the exposure of the network they built, financed, and used against the state and the people in Azerbaijan, as well as the media organizations that are a clear example of it.
In general, "The Washington Post" newspaper has been known for its articles full of accusations against Azerbaijan. In 2023 alone, the newspaper published 5 articles on freedom of speech in Azerbaijan, corruption, and relations with Armenia, the 3rd of which was an editorial article. In particular, the steps taken by Azerbaijan on the path to full restoration of territorial integrity, anti-terrorist measures, etc. formed the basis of these articles.
At this point, it should be noted that the newspaper drew attention in previous years with its articles full of prejudice and accusations against Azerbaijan. Looking at the past and current situation of the newspaper, which considers itself a symbol of objectivity, it can be seen that it is not a herald of free speech and democracy, but a tool in the hands of certain political and financial circles in the U.S.
First, it can be said about The Washington Post that the newspaper is distinguished by its closeness to the Democratic Party. The fact that the newspaper, which was considered average since its establishment in 1877, became one of the influential media in the 60s of the 20th century is also related to these factors. It's no secret that Benjamin Bradlee, who was elected executive editor in 1965, was a close friend of John F. Kennedy, who was the President of the Democratic Party, and started to rise from this period. In addition, two employees of the newspaper were the main executors of the investigation that resulted in the resignation of Republican President Richard Nixon in 1974.
Benjamin Bradlee, executive editor of the newspaper for 26 years, is generally an interesting figure. He is known to have been a CIA agent in the 1950s and collected intelligence for the agency while working at the U.S. Embassy in France. It appears that certain circles were interested in the rise of the newspaper and in using it to shape public opinion to suit their wishes and interests.
Since then, "The Washington Post" newspaper is considered the main media mouthpiece of the left wing of the Democratic Party. Politicians, influential financial centers, and military figures who belong to this wing target politicians and governments in the U.S. and in different countries around the world for the sake of their groups or personal interests, not the U.S.
In this regard, "The Washington Post" newspaper targets Azerbaijan regularly by the order of its sponsors, creates a negative image of the country, presents Azerbaijan as a militaristic country that has restored its territories recognized by international law, and Garabagh as a "disputed territory" in its editorial articles for many years.
Today, the U.S. cannot digest the independent policy of President Ilham Aliyev, who liberated Garabagh, and organizes such ugly campaigns against him.
However, it should not be overlooked that this is disrespect and insult not only to President Ilham Aliyev, but to the people and state of Azerbaijan in general...
David Ignatius, the Armenian-origin columnist of the mentioned newspaper, distinguished by his special prejudice and slanders against Azerbaijan, also has a certain role in this case. It's no secret that the journalist, who shapes opinion in U.S. society with his articles on foreign policy, often targets Azerbaijan and Türkiye because of the Garabagh issue and the "Armenian genocide". But it should be taken into account that he is not an important figure in this process, but just a tool, and the editorial policy of the newspaper is determined by the persons and institutions behind the scenes.
It is this policy based on biased and mercantile interests that has repeatedly caused the newspaper to be accused of being biased, spreading lies, and turning into a "fake news" producer.
"The Washington Post" newspaper has repeatedly come up with serious criticism and biased, commissioned articles. For example, it is known to everyone that the patronage circles of the newspaper are hostile to the ex-president of the U.S., Donald Trump, who is the luckiest candidate from the Republican Party in the upcoming elections. Therefore, the pages of the newspaper often contain articles rich in accusations and confidential information about the political and business activities and personal life of Donald Trump.
Based on the secret and illegally obtained information transmitted to the newspaper, it tried to create a negative image of Trump and convince its readers that he is working for Russia. In March 2020, Donald Trump's campaign headquarters sued the newspaper for defamation and spreading false information.
But the tension between Trump and the newspaper did not end there.
In January of this year, the former president of the United States, Donald Trump, sued Bob Woodward, a journalist of "The Washington Post" for publishing an audiobook with interview recordings without the politician's consent.
Trump repeatedly warned Woodward that he was providing the information only for a future book, the lawsuit states. The politician said that the journalist had released the audio recordings without his knowledge, which "violated the copyright".
On July 24, 2020, "The Washington Post" settles the lawsuit it faced regarding another non-objective article. Thus, the newspaper accused Nicholas Sandmann, a schoolboy from the state of Kentucky, of racially abusing Nathan Phillips, another schoolboy of Indian descent, during a protest action with the participation of students, and published his photo on the newspaper's page.
The schoolboy's parents, who said he was wrongly accused, filed a $250 million lawsuit against the publication after the article was published. Although the newspaper managed to settle the case out of court, Nicholas Sandmann's family was reportedly paid substantial financial compensation to withdraw the lawsuit.
Unprofessionalism, prejudice, and haste, which are apparently unbecoming of the journalistic profession, have put "The Washington Post" in unpleasant situations many times and seriously damaged its reputation.
It is no coincidence that "The Washington Post" newspaper will end 2023 with a loss of 100 million dollars due to a decrease in readership. According to Reuters, the newspaper plans to cut up to 10% of its staff.
Before that, there were serious layoffs among newspaper employees. For example, in 2009, "Washington Post" dismissed 230 employees.
Faced with severe financial constraints and loss of audience, the print edition of the newspaper is generally in serious decline. Even online advertising revenue cannot compensate for the serious decline in the number of copies sold by the newspaper. It is true that since it is a private company, its financial indicators are not disclosed, but considering that the newspaper has become more of a digital publication, 70% of its readers access it through mobile phones, it has become an online platform, and its strategy of selling printed copies has failed.
In general, the wrong editorial policy, and service to one of the influential political and financial centers of the U.S. seriously damaged the newspaper's international reputation and the trust of ordinary Americans.
Today, the newspaper shows the tradition of "Komsomolskaya Pravda", "Pravda" and other similar publications in the USSR era in an uglier way. This is not a free media, but a provocation mechanism that throws dirt on different countries, peoples, social and political figures, and businessmen and keeps the wallpaper tradition alive.
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