Editor’s note: Last week, the Washington Post’s publisher and CEO William Lewis announced that the paper for the only the second time in 50 years would not be endorsing a candidate for the presidency of the United States. In a column published on the Post’s website Oct. 25th, he wrote:
“We recognize that this will be read in a range of ways, including as a tacit endorsement of one candidate, or as a condemnation of another, or as an abdication of responsibility. That is inevitable,” Lewis wrote. “We don’t see it that way. We see it as consistent with the values The Post has always stood for and what we hope for in a leader: character and courage in service to the American ethic, veneration for the rule of law, and respect for human freedom in all its aspects.”
According to a story from the Post, the paper’s editorial board had written an editorial endorsing the Democratic Harris/Walz ticket and was preparing to publish it when it was killed by owner Jeff Bezos, who also founded Amazon.com and the Blue Origin space launch company.
The controversy exploding from this is not so much that the paper has discontinued endorsements at the presidential level as that it was done just 10 days before the intensely controversial 2024 presidential election. Criticism of the move by Bezos and Lewis to cancel the endorsement has been massive by the current and former staff of the Post, who see the move as being done out of fear that Bezos’ companies would be hurt should Trump win the presidency again. It has resulted in a number of resignations from the paper’s staff. One of the most outspoken has been former editor Marty Baron.
This has also led to a massive number of people publicly cancelling their subscriptions to the Washington Post in hope of sending a message to the paper. I have argued on social media that nothing readers can do will hurt Bezos. But cancelling subscriptions can and will hurt the journalists and opinion writers at the paper, none of whom had anything to do with cancelling the endorsement.
For the record, I have continued my subscription, which I have had in one form or another since the 1980s. I value the paper intensely, as I do the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Omaha World-Herald, the Lincoln Journal-Star, and the Kearney Hub — all of which I have paid subscriptions to, all of which have driven me crazy on one occasion or another.
I am reprinting below a social media post from award-winning WaPo food journalist Tim Carman, who is also an alum of the University of Nebraska at Kearney where I teach. I think he gives us an important look from inside the Post about how this controversy is affecting the staff. (Full disclosure: Tim is a friend of mine, and I am reprinting this by permission.)
Washington Post Food Journalist Tim Carman writing on Facebook:
Washington Post food journalist Tim Carman speaking on the UNK campus in October of 2023.
Over the past two days, while laying in bed, sick with flu, I’ve watched one friend after another announce that he/she/they have cancelled their subscription to The Post. I understand the anger that fueled these decisions. A similar anger can be felt among the rank and file at the paper — and in my own heart.
I also understand that, as money and power are consolidated in the hands of so few, we the people feel the need to express our anger/frustration/pain in tangible, meaningful ways. I understand the resentment sparked when one person decides to place self-interest above the public good. I understand how this single act can, almost instantly, destroy the trust that The Post has built over multiple generations.
I’ve been at ch almost 14 years now. I’ve worked with editors and reporters across multiple sections: Metro, Foreign, Business, Style, Food, and others. I know the impenetrable wall that separates the Opinions department from the News/Features department. They operate independently, each serving its own function, though I think their roles are often blurred in the public’s mind.
I know the people who produce the news, graphics, features, videos and more that you see daily. These people are journalists of the highest caliber. Their standards for publication are demanding, rigorous and, most important of all, accountable to readers. This kind of independent journalism is dying before our eyes, its demise fostered by people who have a vested interest in not ever being challenged.
Our country needs more serious journalism, not less. If you’ve already cancelled your subscription, I hope we can earn your trust back. Don’t give up on us. There are hundreds of reporters working daily to hold people accountable and to inform the public about things they might not otherwise know. It needs your support more than ever.
You’ve probably seen this link already from my colleagues, but I’ll post it again. It’s another way to express your anger. I hope you’ll give them the full measure of your rage.
Watch for more to come on this controversy.