Speaking of change, Mr. Bezos told newspaper staffers, "there will of course be change," and the first order of business after the sale concludes in sixty days is step up the pressure on Amazon's nemesis. With the Post's reputation for shaping the nation's politics, Mr. Bezos plans to use his new bully pulpit to bring down Apple's bookstore and restore his own Amazon to e-book supremacy.
The Department of Justice has laid out a road to bring Apple to heel, Mr. Bezos mentioned off the record, but too many Amazon haters could exert influence by writing letters of protest to their elected representatives. He has not invested heavily in Democratic circles, and the current administration, to see his efforts undone by the American people.
"We need to invent," he continued, indicating his desire to re-work the newspaper's format to make it more Kindle-friendly. In addition, new tiers of subscription status will be put in place so that those already paying for Kindle Select can download the daily paper without the advertising. He intends to reinvent the notion of gatekeeper in regard to the field of journalism, by banning any stories that reflect poorly on whichever political candidate he supports, which is to say, whichever political candidate will join him in his quest to destroy Apple.
In conjunction with the Kindle Direct Program, Mr. Bezos plans to empower all writers. At no cost to the author, any writer can download and publish their reports to the Washington Post. The success of the Kindle Direct platform will translate into increased online circulation of the Post, as authors promote their work among family and friends. With anticipated sales of approximately 100 copies per self-published author, there is no telling how many more daily editions will reach the reading public. The potential for advertising revenue will expand in parallel, providing a new revenue stream that can be put to use in destroying Apple's iPad and promoting the Kindle Fire.
The "open system" will revolutionize journalism, with the general public empowered to do their own reporting in their own way. Mr. Bezos envisions an influx of bold experimentation at no additional news-gathering cost, beyond the usual overhead that is required to maintain the Kindle Direct website.
Employees of the Washington Post, while initially stunned by the unexpected announcement of the sale, are hoping for a brighter future under Mr. Bezos' leadership and access to very deep pockets. No word yet on the possibility of extending Amazon's free shipping option to the newspaper's employees, or the banning of all Apple products from the newsroom.
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