If you interfere with your business in a way that upsets staff and customers, you risk their ire—no matter the reasons for your decisions.

The billionaire owner of The Washington Post is directing its opinion section to defend personal liberties and the free market in a shift that prompted the editor of that page to resign.

The Washington Post spiked a column by its media critic about Jeff Bezos’ decision to reshape the newspaper’s Editorial pages, which led to the resignation of the section’s editor, according to a report.