Accessibility statement Search Sections Democracy Dies in Darkness Subscribe Sign in About The Post (John McDonnell/The Washington Post) Mission statement | Company history | Leadership | Ownership structure Mission statement The mission of The Washington Post is defined in a set of principles written by Eugene Meyer, who bought the newspaper in 1933. Today, they are displayed in brass linotype letters in an entrance to the newsroom. (His gender references have been supplanted by our policy of inclusion, but the values remain.) The Seven Principles for the Conduct of a Newspaper The first mission of a newspaper is to tell the truth as nearly as the truth may be ascertained. The newspaper shall tell ALL the truth so far as it can learn it, concerning the important affairs of America and the world. As a disseminator of the news, the paper shall observe the decencies that are obligatory upon a private gentleman. What it prints shall be fit reading for the young as well as for the old. The newspaper’s duty is to its readers and to the public at large, and not to the private interests of its owners. In the pursuit of truth, the newspaper shall be prepared to make sacrifices of its material fortunes, if such course be necessary for the public good. The newspaper shall not be the ally of any special interest, but shall be fair and free and wholesome in its outlook on public affairs and public men. Eugene Meyer, March 5, 1935 Company history Learn more about the company history of The Washington Post here. Leadership Learn more about the leadership of The Washington Post, The Post Newsroom and Post Opinions. Ownership structure The Washington Post is owned by Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon. Advertisement Gift Article MORE FROM THE POST CNN’s fake ‘reckoning’ over the Steele dossier Malikah Shabazz, daughter of Malcolm X, found dead at her home in New York Boris Johnson’s Peppa Pig speech forces him to answer the question: ‘Is everything okay?’ Judge orders two lawyers who filed suit challenging 2020 election to pay hefty fees: ‘They need to take responsibility’ CVS, Walgreens and Walmart are responsible for flooding Ohio counties with pain pills, jury says Company About The Post Newsroom Policies & Standards Diversity and Inclusion Careers Media & Community Relations WP Creative Group Accessibility Statement Get The Post Become a Subscriber Gift Subscriptions Mobile & Apps Newsletters & Alerts Washington Post Live Reprints & Permissions Post Store Books & E-Books Newspaper in Education Print Archives (Subscribers Only) e-Replica Today’s Paper Contact Us Contact the Newsroom Contact Customer Care Contact the Opinions team Advertise Licensing & Syndication Request a Correction Send a News Tip Report a Vulnerability Terms of Use Digital Products Terms of Sale Print Products Terms of Sale Terms of Service Privacy Policy Cookie Settings Submissions & Discussion Policy RSS Terms of Service Ad Choices washingtonpost.com © 1996-2021 The Washington Post