Reader Backlash Continues Against the Decision Not to Make Presidential Endorsement Rolls on Despite Bezos Defense of Decision
The Washington Post is facing a wave of digital subscription cancellations and a series of resignations from columnists after owner Jeff Bezos blocked an endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris for president.
By midday Monday, over 250,000 digital subscriptions had been canceled, according to two people familiar with internal matters. Although not all cancellations are immediate, this number accounts for about 8% of the paper’s total paid circulation of approximately 2.5 million, including print subscribers. The cancellation count continued to grow into Monday afternoon. A corporate spokesperson declined to comment, citing the company’s private ownership.
“It’s a colossal number,” former Post Executive Editor Marcus Brauchli told NPR. “The issue is, people don’t understand why this decision was made. We know it was made, but the reasoning remains unclear.”
On Friday, CEO and Publisher Will Lewis framed the decision as a return to the Post’s roots as an “independent paper” with no endorsements in this or future elections. However, many within the paper doubt this reasoning, given the timing, just days before a tight race between Harris and former President Donald Trump.
Former Executive Editor Marty Baron expressed his skepticism on NPR’s Morning Edition, stating, “If this decision had been made three, two, or even one year ago, that would’ve been reasonable. But to make it weeks before an election, without serious discussion with the editorial board, signals it was done for other reasons, not high principles.”
