About The Post

By Washington Post Staff

January 1, 2021 at 12:00 a.m. EST

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.