"The editorial page editor, David Shipley, told colleagues that the Post's publisher, Will Lewis, would publish a note to readers online early Friday afternoon.
Shipley told colleagues the editorial board was told yesterday by management that there would not be an endorsement. He added that he "owns" this decision. The reason he cited was to create "independent space" where the newspaper does not tell people for whom to vote.
Colleagues were said to be "shocked" and uniformly negative. Post corporate spokespeople have not responded to multiple messages left by NPR on the subject.
A similar decision by Los Angeles Times owner Patrick Soon-Shiong led this week to the resignations of the paper's editorials editor and two editorial board members.
The Post's investigative team has routinely reported on wrongdoing and allegations of illegality by former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, and his associates. The editorial board, which is operated apart from the newsroom, has repeatedly declared that Trump's actions in office and his rhetoric as a candidate have rendered him unfit for office.
It has especially focused on what he did in January 2021 to encourage his supporters to deny the formal certification of President Biden's election.
The possibility that the Post might withhold an endorsement was first reported by Oliver Darcy's newsletter Status. Even the potential lack of an editorial has drawn shock from journalists within the Post, who see it as a major American publication that needs to weigh in on the most pressing issue of the day."