Jeff Bezos: print newspapers could become ‘luxury’

Amazon chief executive and new Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos said Wednesday that print newspapers could one day become a luxury item.

“Some day, I don’t know how many years in the future -- it could be decades -- but I think printed newspapers on actual paper may be a luxury item,” Bezos told NBC in an interview.

“People still have horses but it’s not their primary way of commuting to the office,” Bezos added.

Bezos was questioned on whether he envisions a day when the Washington Post, which he bought in August, is no longer printed.

The Amazon founder shook up the media world when he announced last month the $250 million purchase of the Post, ending decades of control by the Graham family that included the newspaper’s history-changing coverage of the Watergate scandal and other giant stories.

Bezos said in a recent interview that he is eager to experiment with new techniques to win reader loyalty in the digital era, as he tries to reverse the Post’s decline and restore it to profitability.