Wave of unsubscriptions at the Washington Post after its idea to end presidential support

The iconic newspaper The Washington Post is facing the first consequences of the decision of its owner, Jeff Bezos, to block support for a candidate in the next US presidential elections. This is the massive cancellation of contributions and resignations of certain workers.

Monday noon, more than 200,000 people had canceled their digital subscription according to internal sources NPR . This figure, which increased on Monday afternoon and could continue to grow, represents 8% of its 2.5 million subscribers, which also includes the print version of the newspaper.

The loss of readers represents a hard blow for the company which is already going through some financial difficulties. His decision not to take an ad porta position during the elections, however, is not the first to occur in recent weeks: The Los Angeles Times did the same, causing thousands of subscribers to flee.

The Post’s opinion section previously wrote a piece supporting Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, who will run alongside Republican candidate Donald Trump on November 5.

According to NPR, Opinion editor David Shipley assured other workers that the document had been approved by him but had not yet been reviewed by Bezos, who has owned the Post since 2013.

In the past, the Post had a tradition of not endorsing any candidate. The first exception was in 1952, when they asked their readers to vote for Dwift Eisenhower. Then, in 1976, they announced their position in favor of Jimmy Carter.

Since then, they had respected their new custom. In the last election, they went for the Democratic options, Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden, against Trump.

This practice, which lasted four decades, ended Friday last week, when Post executive director and publisher William Lewis said: in an article that Failure to show support during the presidential campaign this year and in the years to come represented a return to the roots of media outlets that describe themselves as “independent.” .

“We recognize that this will be interpreted in a variety of ways, including tacit support for one candidate, condemnation of another, or an abdication of responsibility. It’s inevitable. We don’t see it that way. » they described.

According to The New York Times Bezos’ decision had been brewing for several weeks, although it remains unclear exactly what influenced it.

The argument that the Post wants to return to its roots has failed to convince members of the editorial staff, readers and other figures close to the Post, most of whom reacted negatively.

One of them is the paper’s former executive director, Marty Baron, who called the decision “cowardly.”

“Donald Trump will see this as an invitation to intimidate Post owner Jeff Bezos (and other media owners). “The lack of character in an institution known for its courage is worrying. » » said Baron.

Meanwhile, the postal union explained via X (formerly Twitter) that it was concerned about management’s intervention in the work of the editorial board. “This decision undermines the work of our members at a time when we should be building the trust of our readers, not losing it,” they added.

Several resignations also took place within the newspaper’s editorial board, made up of 10 members and which is part of the Opinion section. It is about David E. Hoffman, Molly Roberts and Mili Mitra who indicated that although they would leave the board, they planned to continue at the newspaper.

“It’s extremely difficult for us because we built this institution,” Hoffman said in an interview with the same media outlet. “But we cannot abandon our American democracy or The Post,” added the two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist.

Meanwhile, Robert Kagan, the former editor-in-chief, resigned from the paper following Lewis’ announcement. “We kneel before Donald Trump because we are afraid of what he will do” he told CNN.

Columnist Michelle Morris also said she would leave the outlet, calling the move “an insult to the newspaper’s standards.”

Bezos, who also owns Amazon, decided to break his silence on Monday, during a opinion article He explained the reasons for his decision.

“Most people think the media is biased. Those who do not see it pay little attention to reality, and those who fight against reality lose. “Reality is an undefeated champion,” he writes.

From the businessman’s point of view, showing support for a candidacy does not “tilt the scales of an election” and undecided voters do not base their final decision on a single means.

“I would also like to clarify that there is no type of compensation in this case. Neither the campaign nor the candidate was consulted or informed at any level or in any way about this decision. This was taken completely internally “, he stressed.