Statement of Meyer Foundation CEO Julie L. Rogers on the recent sale of the Washington Post

Eugene and Agnes Meyer (at left) founded the Meyer Foundation in 1944, just 11 years after Mr. Meyer bought the Washington Post. Today, the Meyer Foundation is governed by an independent board of civic and community leaders and has no formal relationship with the Graham family or the Washington Post. The announced sale of the Post to Jeffrey Bezos will have no impact on the Meyer Foundation’s assets, mission, or its grantmaking to support lasting improvements in the lives of low-income people in the DC region.

We have deep admiration for the family’s 80-year stewardship of the Washington Post as a community institution. Eugene and Agnes Meyer were thoughtful, public-spirited individuals who believed strongly that informed public discourse was essential to the fabric of our democracy. Their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren have managed the Post in a way that has honored the Meyers’ spirit and values—the same values that have influenced the work of the Meyer Foundation for nearly 70 years.

The Graham family are leading philanthropists in the Greater Washington region. We have been honored to have them as colleagues and partners and are confident that their deep-rooted commitment to important local causes and organizations will continue. We also look forward to welcoming Mr. Bezos in his new role as the owner of one of our region’s most significant media outlets, and we hope that his own philanthropy will reflect that role.

The Washington Post is an important local institution and the hometown paper in a region with huge economic disparities and unmet community needs. As the Post looks to the future, we hope that it will continue to shed light on the challenges facing our region and its most vulnerable residents, and inform spirited public discourse on how best to meet those challenges.