Wow, so true. As a decades long subscriber- print and digital, this was a gut punch. My beloved hometown newspaper - I cancelled my subscription and Amazon prime. No more Whole foods either . So disappointing. On the other hand I am feeling so hopeful that Kamala Harris will be our next President ❤️
True. But producing a one-person, or even a small-group, digital publication is ridiculously cheap compared to the enormous overhead demanded by almost any 20th century newspaper. I've begun to hope that the cluster unpublications modeled by a Substack or Mary Trump Media offers a possible return to the cacophony of competing ideas envisioned by the Founders. The single corporate newspaper per municipality of today sure isn't it!
Completely true. When I worked at the Chicago Tribune, the people who put out nearly all of the print papers occupied two floors of the office space at the late Freedom Center press plant, which was the largest in North America. Ten large presses. The cost of that equipment, the building to house them, the cost of keeping it all running and the amount of electricity are staggering.
What doesn’t change with the move to more online news is the cost of coverage. When the big papers sent reporters and photographers to cover the second Iraq War, it was not cheap. Correspondents in war zones need cash to pay drivers and interpreters, along with food and shelter for themselves.
I'm not clear why so many wapo readers want to injure journalists for a decision they had nothing to do with that disgusts them more than anyone else. They're the only ones these wapo cancellations hurt. What do a few thousand cancellations mean to moneybags Bezos? What readers need to cancel if they want to hurt Bezos is his real business, Amazon. Cancel Prime, cancel black Fridays, search the item you want online to find out who else sells it. You may find a better price, and journalism held to the highest standard can continue—once Will Lewis is returned to Murdoch, anyway.
All the editors and writers should resign. We stand on the brink of dystopian fascism. Are you ready to watch as the vulnerable get bullied and bloodied and the rich appeasers get richer? This is not a time for cowards.
I really hope they're not in a death spiral. The U.S. needs that paper as never before. Bezos saved it once; now he seems to be throwing it under a tank.
That’s why I didn’t cancel. I love Jennifer Rubin and so many other journalists on WaPo and my little wimpy subscription around isn’t even going to make them blink. It might get wonderful journalist fired though.
Bezos is not the owner of Amazon anymore, he sold all but 9 shares of his stock, making him just a board member. The one who has the most of the stocks is the owner now. Each stock is worth about $556,000.
So I've just been learning. I understand he is concentrating on other business—including, alas, wapo. His alliance with the dreadful Will Lewis isn't off to a great start.
Correction. Jonathan Chait column, not a profile, and a useful reminder of how terrible every day was when Trump was in the White House. I'd forgotten those tirades against Bezos and the Post.
Many people have Already been canceling Bozo Bezos’s “rag” in Disgust before this Trashy action. He’d already let it deteriorate while he went Hugh Hefner wanna be with his “porngirl” dressed like the Playmate of the month at White House Formal, Diplomatic affairs. It was obvious which Degenerate Politician he would be endorsing to bring back to further destroy The White House, and democracybecause the lunatic hadn’t had enough time the 1st term, to demolish it and end democracy. So guys like them live out their fantasies of Ruling the Empire with their “Consorts.” Because they “know better” than Anyone else, in their Megalomania.
What the fuck is that supposed to mean? What's this bobbybot shit and who the FUCK is Jeff the Thumb? Maybe we should call you Punkbitchagitator? Would you like that?
Yes I guess so fuckface. You know what a fuckface is right? The great punkfuckulator of '24 has spoken. Why so glum pussyboy? Who's the doomy now? Now stop with the bots...botbotlickthe spot. Either way quit trolling me.
I would offer that Drump's stench of a rotting corpse before the worms come for it is stronger now than it ever was. He hasn't engaged in weeks with any opponent who could cut him to ribbons on the stage. Donnie dementia, disgorging defamatory gibberish, constantly. This is strength? His niece Mary calls him "the weakest person I've ever known" and she is a pro at calling out mental defectives.
This isn't the first time a Wapo owner has been threatened. But it's the first time they caved.
Nixon's Attorney General John Mitchell famously threatened: "If you print that, Katie Graham will get her tit caught in a wringer.' Katie Graham printed it.
Possible silver lining: this may be the October surprise that galvanizes turn out for Harris.
Maybe galvanizes, indeed, Kathleen! Bezos reputedly signed off on that finished 'Democracy' motto for wapo, and now he discharges a ceaseless stream of diarrhea all over it. Insufferable cowering suck-ups of the C-suites. Orange-face clearly missed it with his assignment of "suckers and losers".
Just heard that line tonight when TCM aired "All the President's Men." What a classic! I stumbled in after it started, so I watch from the beginning on the TCM app. Did you read Katherine Graham's memoir? It is marvelous! Go blue! Sorry, Mrs. Graham and Ben Bradlee but I had to cancel my longtime subscription in protest to the spineless whimps. Also cancelled NYT last Sunday. Present generation of the Sulzberg family has no spine either. Like others, I will do without Amazon when subscription runs out. I have shopped in our Whole Foods in a long time. I'm a smaller to medium size store shopper. WalNart might as well have skulls and cross bones on the front.
The smallish store I shop at is Sprouts. If you have one, they are good. Our only Whole Foods is on the other side of town - we are not yuppie enough on our side (which is why I like it).
I hate this whole polling thing!!! And every media outlet is just so so very busy with their constant predications. I find it all very undermining to the electoral process.
If everyone just stood up to chump instead of being a bunch of pussies we could live in a safer world. These guys like Bezos have more money than he does and could stop this nonsense. It’s going to take a a bunch of poor folks like me to get out and vote. Hopefully he will get his ass handed to him on Election Day.
Exactly. Bullies are encouraged by people appeasing them. The only way to deal with a bully is to hit back, and to make yourself more trouble than you are worth to him. Resistance is essential.
I've already voted. I have to believe a whole lot of other people are going to vote, too. The only way to keep that fascist out of the White House is to beat him so bad he can't come back from it.
I agree with everything you stated. Why though, is no one (media) talking about trump’s 34 convictions on State charges. Oh, and subsequent sentencing to follow shortly after the election?
It wasn't the editors of either paper who did this, and at the LA Times, the head of the Editorial Board and the next-senior member have both resigned in protest.
At least blame the guilty parties - the South African billionaire Soon-Shiong (we sure don't need any more billionaires from South Africa after this putz, Peter Thiel and Elmo Muck). And Bezos.
Bezos has shown us that tax cuts for billionaires are more important than the preservation of democracy. What is he afraid of? A 90% tax on billionaire wealth? That would not change his lifestyle one bit? Or is he afraid of Trump? Who cannot do a damn thing to hurt guys like Bezos who have more money than God? Or is it simply that he, like so many of his peers, is a small man with an outsized ego who see Trump as their messenger, keeping the Deltas in their place so that the Alphas can suck up all of the money in the world.
I just canceled my subscription because yes, democracy does die in darkness. The Washington Post has decided this year, of all years, to not endorse a candidate for the presidency. The Washington Post is not endorsing Kamala Harris, even though Donald Trump threatens to rule as a dictator. Donald Trump has managed to intimidate even Jeff Bezos.
It’s particularly heartbreaking that the paper that broke the story on the criminality of Watergate which led to the resignation of President Nixon is now folding in anticipation — in anticipation!— of retribution by Donald Trump.
We all used to wonder how Hitler came to power— now we know first hand — as our papers of record remain silent on who should become President of the United States.
The Washington Post has no opinion whatsoever on which person would be a better president of the United States: the person who runs on freedom and upholding the Constitution, or the person who wants to have generals like Hitler and use the military on “the enemy within”. Katharine Graham is rolling over in her grave.
The only thing that can save the people now are we the people ourselves. Anyone that is too busy or disinterested to vote is now an enabler of Fascism.
Except that they aren't big or important enough to destroy democracy...or anything really, except their hard-won good reputation. Fuck Bezos and the billionaire bros.
I've been retired almost 21 years. In the past I've enjoyed reading the Post. I thought it was more honest than it proved to be. I can't stand dishonesty. I canceled by subscription today. I feel like I had no choice.
I know. I do too. But they employ - and I know they're horrible to work for - a lot of people. Until a better alternative comes along I wouldn't want those people to be out of a job.
I have been a subscriber to the Washington Post for at least 30 years. I have canceled that subscription due to the continually biased reporting and switched to the Guardian as a more truthful news source.
The guardians perspectives are much more historically informed; may as well cancel the NYT, they’re in stiff competition with Botox News, ‘all the news that’s fit to spin.’
Bezos has launched himself into the ranks of Profiles in Cowardice. He is an appeaser 'Yes Sir, How high, Sir, Right away, Sir'. He'll have to remove all the mirrors in his house because he won't be able to stand looking at himself.
Skyler Johnson nailed it: “At least now we know ‘Democracy Dies in Darkness’ isn’t a motto, it’s their promise.”
Wow, so true. As a decades long subscriber- print and digital, this was a gut punch. My beloved hometown newspaper - I cancelled my subscription and Amazon prime. No more Whole foods either . So disappointing. On the other hand I am feeling so hopeful that Kamala Harris will be our next President ❤️
Canceled, also. Enough.
Me too.
Print Newspapers are on the way out......so you are saving $$$$.
Now you can use yout time wisely with MeidasTouch.....IHIPNEWS.......Stephanie Miller
Only the physical paper is on the way out. Subscriptions to digital still cost money.
True. But producing a one-person, or even a small-group, digital publication is ridiculously cheap compared to the enormous overhead demanded by almost any 20th century newspaper. I've begun to hope that the cluster unpublications modeled by a Substack or Mary Trump Media offers a possible return to the cacophony of competing ideas envisioned by the Founders. The single corporate newspaper per municipality of today sure isn't it!
Completely true. When I worked at the Chicago Tribune, the people who put out nearly all of the print papers occupied two floors of the office space at the late Freedom Center press plant, which was the largest in North America. Ten large presses. The cost of that equipment, the building to house them, the cost of keeping it all running and the amount of electricity are staggering.
What doesn’t change with the move to more online news is the cost of coverage. When the big papers sent reporters and photographers to cover the second Iraq War, it was not cheap. Correspondents in war zones need cash to pay drivers and interpreters, along with food and shelter for themselves.
Easy to cancel......click of a mouse.
Plus a fifteen-dollar handling charge on my credit card.
Just have to notify your bank, tell them you did not approve the charge.
Yes, and that was what I cancelled.
I'm not clear why so many wapo readers want to injure journalists for a decision they had nothing to do with that disgusts them more than anyone else. They're the only ones these wapo cancellations hurt. What do a few thousand cancellations mean to moneybags Bezos? What readers need to cancel if they want to hurt Bezos is his real business, Amazon. Cancel Prime, cancel black Fridays, search the item you want online to find out who else sells it. You may find a better price, and journalism held to the highest standard can continue—once Will Lewis is returned to Murdoch, anyway.
All the editors and writers should resign. We stand on the brink of dystopian fascism. Are you ready to watch as the vulnerable get bullied and bloodied and the rich appeasers get richer? This is not a time for cowards.
And silencing news is the way to defeat fascism? Have you ever risked your own career for a principle (assuming you have a job)?
And when did that happen? Or you just anticipating and getting yourself into a frenzy.....just in case
When I cancelled today, they said that 12000 Post readers cancelled this month.
I really hope they're not in a death spiral. The U.S. needs that paper as never before. Bezos saved it once; now he seems to be throwing it under a tank.
That’s why I didn’t cancel. I love Jennifer Rubin and so many other journalists on WaPo and my little wimpy subscription around isn’t even going to make them blink. It might get wonderful journalist fired though.
Bezos is not the owner of Amazon anymore, he sold all but 9 shares of his stock, making him just a board member. The one who has the most of the stocks is the owner now. Each stock is worth about $556,000.
So I've just been learning. I understand he is concentrating on other business—including, alas, wapo. His alliance with the dreadful Will Lewis isn't off to a great start.
Yea, he is focused on his aerospace company, Blue Origin, and other ventures. This might be worth reading to: https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/washington-post-endorsement-kamala-harris-trump-bezos-amazon-threat.html
Correction. Jonathan Chait column, not a profile, and a useful reminder of how terrible every day was when Trump was in the White House. I'd forgotten those tirades against Bezos and the Post.
Thank you, Michael! I'll check out the nyMag profile.
Thanks for the info.
Tank the readership and stockprice then a non-profit can buy it out.
Many people have Already been canceling Bozo Bezos’s “rag” in Disgust before this Trashy action. He’d already let it deteriorate while he went Hugh Hefner wanna be with his “porngirl” dressed like the Playmate of the month at White House Formal, Diplomatic affairs. It was obvious which Degenerate Politician he would be endorsing to bring back to further destroy The White House, and democracybecause the lunatic hadn’t had enough time the 1st term, to demolish it and end democracy. So guys like them live out their fantasies of Ruling the Empire with their “Consorts.” Because they “know better” than Anyone else, in their Megalomania.
Sad to say, don't bet on it. Everything is going Trump's way as it always has. He's stronger now than he ever was.
Horseshit, bobbybot. Give our regards to Jeffy the Thumb.
What the fuck is that supposed to mean? What's this bobbybot shit and who the FUCK is Jeff the Thumb? Maybe we should call you Punkbitchagitator? Would you like that?
See, doomy? Getting pissed off fired you right up, didn’t it?
Yes I guess so fuckface. You know what a fuckface is right? The great punkfuckulator of '24 has spoken. Why so glum pussyboy? Who's the doomy now? Now stop with the bots...botbotlickthe spot. Either way quit trolling me.
I would offer that Drump's stench of a rotting corpse before the worms come for it is stronger now than it ever was. He hasn't engaged in weeks with any opponent who could cut him to ribbons on the stage. Donnie dementia, disgorging defamatory gibberish, constantly. This is strength? His niece Mary calls him "the weakest person I've ever known" and she is a pro at calling out mental defectives.
Is that why he’s paying for fake polls to show that he’s ahead: https://x.com/i/status/1850231954068619461
This isn't the first time a Wapo owner has been threatened. But it's the first time they caved.
Nixon's Attorney General John Mitchell famously threatened: "If you print that, Katie Graham will get her tit caught in a wringer.' Katie Graham printed it.
Possible silver lining: this may be the October surprise that galvanizes turn out for Harris.
Maybe galvanizes, indeed, Kathleen! Bezos reputedly signed off on that finished 'Democracy' motto for wapo, and now he discharges a ceaseless stream of diarrhea all over it. Insufferable cowering suck-ups of the C-suites. Orange-face clearly missed it with his assignment of "suckers and losers".
Just heard that line tonight when TCM aired "All the President's Men." What a classic! I stumbled in after it started, so I watch from the beginning on the TCM app. Did you read Katherine Graham's memoir? It is marvelous! Go blue! Sorry, Mrs. Graham and Ben Bradlee but I had to cancel my longtime subscription in protest to the spineless whimps. Also cancelled NYT last Sunday. Present generation of the Sulzberg family has no spine either. Like others, I will do without Amazon when subscription runs out. I have shopped in our Whole Foods in a long time. I'm a smaller to medium size store shopper. WalNart might as well have skulls and cross bones on the front.
The smallish store I shop at is Sprouts. If you have one, they are good. Our only Whole Foods is on the other side of town - we are not yuppie enough on our side (which is why I like it).
I canceled both months ago. This just reaffirms my decision. Next comes Amazon and Whole Foods.
Katherine Graham, never shy with her language, probably told Mitchell to go fuck himself.
Wapo is but a husk of its former self. It's a disgrace to its own legacy.
Well, wouldn't that be fabulous! Just read NBC has said he's gained 5 points over Harris!
I hate this whole polling thing!!! And every media outlet is just so so very busy with their constant predications. I find it all very undermining to the electoral process.
Agreed. They're all doing all they can to sway the election.
And what do they know? Nate Silver says it's too close to call.
Nate was wrong in 2016.
He gave Trump a bigger chance of winning the election than any other pollster. Everybody was a lot wronger than Nate Silver in 2016.
Nate is wrong quite frequently.
Interesting, bc last I saw he had him in the lead.
Actually, here’s the latest from NBC. No significant change. And it’s just one poll. Always better to look at averages from multiple polls. And always good to avoid hearsay. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/new-poll-shows-trump-harris-neck-neck-nationally-battlegrounds-rcna176948
ignore the polls. Vote, and get 3 others to vote with you. Do it today!
Thank you. Glad to see this.
Canceled my subscription 10 minutes ago!!!
Send the $ to someone who can flip the House. Adam Gray, Dave Min, Rudy Salas come to mind. There are a few others. Check Hopium Chronicles for names.
Me too.
Democracy Dies in Darkness. Bezos DIVES in darkness.
Jeff Bezos and his publisher and CEO ARE COWARDS. Now they truly deserve to have their pictures next to Trump in the Anals of history
Cancelled my subscription too. Not sure how I will get by without my hometown paper but I’m more worried about how we will get by without a democracy.
ALL the editors and writers should resign. The paper is done now anyway n
I cancelled WaPo too, subscribed to the New York Times; they endorsed Kamala.
It’s too bad Marty Barron didn’t take the motto with when he left the paper.
Would the WP and LAT be able to survive without billionaire support? Whatever their defects, they are better than Faux news.
If everyone just stood up to chump instead of being a bunch of pussies we could live in a safer world. These guys like Bezos have more money than he does and could stop this nonsense. It’s going to take a a bunch of poor folks like me to get out and vote. Hopefully he will get his ass handed to him on Election Day.
Exactly. Bullies are encouraged by people appeasing them. The only way to deal with a bully is to hit back, and to make yourself more trouble than you are worth to him. Resistance is essential.
I've already voted. I have to believe a whole lot of other people are going to vote, too. The only way to keep that fascist out of the White House is to beat him so bad he can't come back from it.
I already did and will spend the next week phone-banking to make sure others do, too.
I agree with everything you stated. Why though, is no one (media) talking about trump’s 34 convictions on State charges. Oh, and subsequent sentencing to follow shortly after the election?
I cancelled my subscription as well.
I also cancelled my Washington Post subscription.
I think the Washington Post and LA Times' editors are misogynists.
Thank you, Mary 💙.
It wasn't the editors of either paper who did this, and at the LA Times, the head of the Editorial Board and the next-senior member have both resigned in protest.
At least blame the guilty parties - the South African billionaire Soon-Shiong (we sure don't need any more billionaires from South Africa after this putz, Peter Thiel and Elmo Muck). And Bezos.
Isn't there an undesirables clause in our immigration policy?
South Africans do not have a democratic history, unfortunately.
Its the OWNERS, not the editors.
Soon-Shiong wasn’t a billionaire when he emigrated from South Africa.
Bezos has shown us that tax cuts for billionaires are more important than the preservation of democracy. What is he afraid of? A 90% tax on billionaire wealth? That would not change his lifestyle one bit? Or is he afraid of Trump? Who cannot do a damn thing to hurt guys like Bezos who have more money than God? Or is it simply that he, like so many of his peers, is a small man with an outsized ego who see Trump as their messenger, keeping the Deltas in their place so that the Alphas can suck up all of the money in the world.
I think it's the billion dollar contract he's hoping to secure. Insurance in case the fascist wins.
Cancelled my on line subscription.
Same
Given my experience with some of Amazon’s web products, the feds Sh look elsewhere.
Your last sentence.....
Ah right. When is enough not enough?
My letter to the Washington Post:
Dear Washington Post,
I just canceled my subscription because yes, democracy does die in darkness. The Washington Post has decided this year, of all years, to not endorse a candidate for the presidency. The Washington Post is not endorsing Kamala Harris, even though Donald Trump threatens to rule as a dictator. Donald Trump has managed to intimidate even Jeff Bezos.
It’s particularly heartbreaking that the paper that broke the story on the criminality of Watergate which led to the resignation of President Nixon is now folding in anticipation — in anticipation!— of retribution by Donald Trump.
We all used to wonder how Hitler came to power— now we know first hand — as our papers of record remain silent on who should become President of the United States.
The Washington Post has no opinion whatsoever on which person would be a better president of the United States: the person who runs on freedom and upholding the Constitution, or the person who wants to have generals like Hitler and use the military on “the enemy within”. Katharine Graham is rolling over in her grave.
WOWZA
Many thanks! So appreciate your clarity. And approach to reality
👏👏👏👏👏
Great letter! Well done!
The only thing that can save the people now are we the people ourselves. Anyone that is too busy or disinterested to vote is now an enabler of Fascism.
It's funny, in a twisted way, I copied and pasted your excellent piece to WAPO and the response was my time was limited. Minks
Wish I had thought of that!
I think it also has to do with the fact that the Harris is both female and Black. That is a bridge too far for some, obviously, to endorse her.
Brilliant!
Bezos has us on the road to Tyranny. History tells us a lot.
We are paralleling Germany in the 1930s’.
If possible, please read “On Tyranny” by Timothy Snyder. Very enlightening, and alarming. But then we need to be alarmed.
May I quote you?
Cancelled this morning. Will miss Telnaes, Rubin, Petri. The rest, better found elsewhere (Looking at you, The Guardian!)
I subscribed to the Guardian 2 weeks ago.
Cancelled WaPo this morning with a tag to the WaPo on Twitter> I was livid.”On Twitter I am under my maiden name Flo Baumgarther, very German, lol.
"Douchebaggery Dies in Darkness"
Actually, I think it lives. :-(
Thrives, actually.
True. Trying to preserve the alliteration:
1) "Douchebaggery Dies in Daylight"
2) "Douchebaggery Dies in Democracy"
3) "Democracy Dies in Douchebaggery"
The Nation is always there......has been since 1865.........I have been an subscriber for years
That reminds me, I need to re-up with them. And Mother Jones.
The new masthead/slogan for the Post should now be:
Washington Post
Democracy Died in Darkness
Except that they aren't big or important enough to destroy democracy...or anything really, except their hard-won good reputation. Fuck Bezos and the billionaire bros.
How about "where's Katherine Graham when you need her?"
If only Cheetolini would have threatened to put Bezos’s dick in a wringer…..
Well, it is still hanging on, so far. How about We're Covering Democracy in Darkness.
Democracy died hiding under the covers.
I've been retired almost 21 years. In the past I've enjoyed reading the Post. I thought it was more honest than it proved to be. I can't stand dishonesty. I canceled by subscription today. I feel like I had no choice.
A supreme act of corporate cupidity and journalistic malpractice. Damn them. But mark these words: we will prevail!
So disturbing 😳 Handing the keys of the Kingdom to the court jester AGAIN? Retraumatization
Ask any battered woman what it was like to go back again. She can be brought flowers only so many times until the flowers are sent to her grave.
The Post should have mentioned the fact that DT is a convicted felon in the rape case.
Also, I hate Amazon. Evil bald bastard Bezos.
I know. I do too. But they employ - and I know they're horrible to work for - a lot of people. Until a better alternative comes along I wouldn't want those people to be out of a job.
Excellent point. Makes it a tough choice, then, eh?
Gonna be hard to cancel Amazon prime, but I'll have to do it.
Don’t shop there period; there’s others places that sell the same things often at better prices.
Yup. Recognizing that more and more. Convenience comes at a high cost.
Me too
I feel the same way.
But I’m doing it anyway.
The Washington Post: the newspaper that caused Nixon to step down, and the newspaper that did not stand up to trump.
I have been a subscriber to the Washington Post for at least 30 years. I have canceled that subscription due to the continually biased reporting and switched to the Guardian as a more truthful news source.
The guardians perspectives are much more historically informed; may as well cancel the NYT, they’re in stiff competition with Botox News, ‘all the news that’s fit to spin.’
At least the NYTimes endorsed Harris.
Bezos has launched himself into the ranks of Profiles in Cowardice. He is an appeaser 'Yes Sir, How high, Sir, Right away, Sir'. He'll have to remove all the mirrors in his house because he won't be able to stand looking at himself.
Vampires have no reflections anyway.
But people like that have no shame. Which is why they keep doing it.
Canceled Prime, WAPO, and LA Times today.