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Bezos calls Trumps attacks on media ‘dangerous’
WASHINGTON, Sept 14, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon and
owner of the Washington Post newspaper, warned Thursday that President Donald
Trump’s attacks on media are dangerous for the country.
Bezos, during a question-answer session at a dinner hosted by the Economic
Club of Washington, said Trump’s attacks risk eroding protections and social
norms important for democracy.
“It’s dangerous to demonize the media,” Bezos said.
“It’s dangerous to call the media lowlifes. It’s dangerous to say they are
the enemy of the people.” He added that “we live in a society where it’s not
just the laws of the land that protect us… it’s also the social norms that
protect us. It works because we believe the words on that piece of paper.”
Bezos said Trump and other public figures should expect public and media
scrutiny, which he called “healthy.”
The comments appeared to be the first direct, public rebuke of Trump by
Bezos, a frequent target of attacks by the president.
“I do defend the Post,” he said. “I don’t feel the need to defend Amazon.”
But he paraphrased Washington Post editor Martin Baron as saying that “the
adminstration may be at war with us, but we are not at war with the
administration.”
Despite his concerns with Trump, Bezos said that he was not overly
concerned about the future of the news media.
“We are so robust in this country. The media is going to be fine,” he said
during the conversation with economic club president David Rubenstein.
Bezos, whose Amazon fortune has made him the world’s richest person, added
that he has had “a couple of conversations” with Trump but declined to say
what was discussed.
BSS/AFP/MR/ 1015 hrs