Washington Post Journalist Criticizes Gayle King for Accepting Jeff Bezos’ Space Flight: ‘It’s Quite Distasteful’

“CBS Mornings” host Gayle King is set to participate in an all-female space flight on a Blue Origin rocket owned by Jeff Bezos. This news has stirred up some feelings at the Washington Post, where staff members are concerned about Bezos’ influence over the paper’s recent changes, particularly in its opinion section.

King will be flying with pop star Katy Perry and Bezos’ fiancée, Lauren Sánchez, this spring. They will take part in a six-person mission aboard the New Shepard, which will briefly take them to the edge of space for a few minutes of weightlessness before returning to Earth.

One staff member at the Washington Post expressed disappointment, suggesting that King should turn down the flight as a sign of solidarity with journalists upset about Bezos’ recent actions. They described the situation as “kind of gross.”

There’s uncertainty about whether King is covering the cost of her flight or if someone else is funding it. Blue Origin’s ticket prices have varied, with the first seat auctioned for a staggering $28 million in 2021. Currently, tickets are reported to cost around $300,000 each, but the company customizes prices for passengers, making it challenging to pinpoint a standard fee.

The timing of this flight announcement coincides with significant changes at the Washington Post. Bezos recently fired opinion page editor David Shipley, indicating a shift toward editorial content that promotes “personal liberties and free markets.” This decision has alarmed many current and former staffers, especially after a controversial cancellation of a planned endorsement of then-Vice President Kamala Harris just weeks before the election.

Bezos, also known for his role as founder of Amazon, insists that he is not trying to influence political outcomes or curry favor with any administration. However, his involvement in the newspaper’s editorial direction has raised concerns about the independence of its journalism.

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