Top News:
CNN:
WaPo CEO Will Lewis says “I do not believe in presidential endorsements” and Bezos “was not sent, did not read and did not opine on any draft” of an endorsement — Let's get this part out of the way first: Newspaper endorsements normally don't matter much.
Discussion:
The Guardian, The Philadelphia Inquirer, @hadas_gold, Daring Fireball, @musa_algharbi, @julieroginsky, @deggans, @eriqgardner, @brianstelter, @kenklippenstein, @brianstelter, @davidfolkenflik, @brianstelter, @jayrosen_nyu, @peteryared, @maxwelltani, @semaforben, @justinbaragona, @kenklippenstein, @davidfolkenflik, @carlbernstein, @benmullin, @fvogelstein, @brianstelter, @semaforben, @davelevinthal, @bartongellman, @jennirsl, @brendan_duke, @benmullin, @lindseyboylan, @nycsouthpaw, @jimwaterson, @froomkin, @deggans, @franklinleonard, Mediaite, @fheinderyckx@mastodon.social, @qjurecic.bsky.social, @apocalypticanow.bsky.social, Puck, The Hill, Las Vegas Review-Journal, RedState, Financial Times and Breitbart
Discussion:
Lois Beckett / The Guardian: ‘Anticipatory obedience’: newspapers' refusal to endorse shines light on billionaire owners' motives
Will Bunch / The Philadelphia Inquirer: Billionaire cowards at Washington Post, L.A. Times show what life under a dictator is really like
Hadas Gold / @hadas_gold: Former Post editor @postbaron tells @smerconish Will Lewis reasoning for the non-endorsement “laughable” [video]
John Gruber / Daring Fireball: ★ Profiles in Cowardice: Owner Jeff Bezos and Publisher William Lewis of The Washington Post
Musa al-Gharbi / @musa_algharbi: As I highlight in my book ( https://musaalgharbi.com/...), WaPo and NY Times share many of the same readers, with nearly identical “resistance” politics. They tend to be highly educated, and follow horseraces and gossip closely, but to have a pretty shallow understanding of how
Julie Roginsky / @julieroginsky: Just stop. How stupid does Will Lewis think people are? Bezos didn't need to read a draft on an endorsement to kill it.
@deggans: I'm not sure it is confusion. I think there are a lot of people out there who have grown impatient with mainstream media's coverage, and this endorsement scandal is just the tipping point to throw in the towel, unfortunately.
Eriq Gardner / @eriqgardner: I don't think endorsements matter except Taylor Swift going on the Kelce podcast “New Heights” to discuss love, football, and the election.
Brian Stelter / @brianstelter: Surprise — a special Saturday edition of the @ReliableSources newsletter just landed: https://view.newsletters.cnn.com/ ...
Ken Klippenstein / @kenklippenstein: The Washington Post lost $100 million last year alone. Billionaires don't buy these properties to make money. They buy them to expand their influence
Brian Stelter / @brianstelter: “I do not believe in presidential endorsements,” Post publisher William Lewis says in a new statement to CNN 👇🏼 [image]
David Folkenflik / @davidfolkenflik: WashPost publisher Will Lewis appears to be knocking down reporting, including in WaPo, that Bezos had reviewed a tangible draft of endorsement. The decision was still Bezos'. Reporting on this stuff in real time is hard. Doubly so when it's your own institution. Respect.
Brian Stelter / @brianstelter: So many of the fears, anxieties and hopes about the presidential election are encapsulated in this Washington Post non-endorsement imbroglio. Fears of capitulation to Trump, his base's desires for revenge... https://view.newsletters.cnn.com/ ...
Jay Rosen / @jayrosen_nyu: “After democracy dies in darkness, they'll be the ones who will be moving happily about in the shadows.” Timothy Snyder on what the media oligarchs have revealed about themselves. https://www.theguardian.com/ ... [image]
Peter Yared / @peteryared: Bezos forcing WaPo to not endorse is an employee filter like his Amazon 5 day back to the office policy
Max Tani / @maxwelltani: One result of the WaPo non-endorsement: I'm told the NYT has been experiencing a small but noticeable wave of cancelations since yesterday, as well as emails to the effect of “fuck Bezos.” There's been some internal discussion about what (if anything) to do about the confusion.
Ben Smith / @semaforben: The way we live now
Justin Baragona / @justinbaragona: As we all know by now, Will Lewis is a man of integrity and would never do or say anything unethical to protect his boss.
Ken Klippenstein / @kenklippenstein: Thinking about how the Washington Post laid off almost 10% of its staff after posting a $100 million loss — then Jeff Bezos gave a $100 million grant to celebrity Admiral William McRaven and actress Eva Longoria. https://www.kenklippenstein.com/ ...
David Folkenflik / @davidfolkenflik: That said, I'm getting pushback from sources from inside the paper who say they were previously told the editorial was shared with Bezos. As I noted, this stuff is tough.
Carl Bernstein / @carlbernstein: Statement on Washington Post's refusal to endorse presidential candidate. [image]
Ben Mullin / @benmullin: We don't know where this background quote comes from. Is it the reporter who covers Amazon? Blue Origin? The Post? What is their basis for this “feeling?” I think this is pretty thin gruel.
Fred Vogelstein / @fvogelstein: Said this last night. Will say it again. This looks like a Will Lewis thing not a Jeff Bezos thing. Sure it's on Bezos for hiring him. But I also don't think Lewis issued this statement voluntarily. And I've begun to wonder if Bezos isn't gearing up to hang Lewis with this mess.
Brian Stelter / @brianstelter: Inside @washingtonpost's newsroom, which operates separately from the opinion department, “people who are thinking about the prospect of covering a second Trump presidency are concerned that the owner won't have our backs,” a staffer tells me
Ben Smith / @semaforben: Bezos ... more or less disowning the decision? A confusing way to operate. https://www.semafor.com/... [image]
Dave Levinthal / @davelevinthal: Presidential non-endorsement from @washingtonpost is front-page news today in ... the Washington Post. [image]
Barton Gellman / @bartongellman: Maybe you didn't fully understand, @JeffBezos, the message that non-endorsement would send. Like it or not, this is about the newsroom. Is the WP still fearlessly holding power to account? Change your mind. It's not too late to show that you are not bending the knee.
Jenni Russell / @jennirsl: Weasel words. No one will be fooled. If Bezos was determined not to endorse Kamala then of course he wouldn't have read the editorial. It wasn't the quality of the argument he was objecting to. It was the fear of offending Trump.
Brendan Duke / @brendan_duke: WaPo readers are the world experts at detecting BS, given the share that work in politics and media. Making this announcement less than 2 weeks before the election and after making U.S. Senate endorsements reflects either owner interference or comically bad management from Lewis
Ben Mullin / @benmullin: NEW: Will Lewis, the C.E.O. of The Washington Post, issues a statement saying Jeff Bezos “was not sent, did not read and did not opine on any draft” of an endorsement for president. “We are an independent newspaper and should support our readers' ability to make up their own
Lindsey Boylan / @lindseyboylan: As if he needed to read the fine print to give a no to endorsing. This feels like gaslighting and wordsmithing.
Jim Waterson / @jimwaterson: About 40% of the complaints I got while working at BuzzFeed related to stories published by HuffPost, always healthy to remember how little the general public (totally understandably) gives a shit about your individual outlet.
Dan Froomkin / @froomkin: I wrote this 2 years ago, calling for Bezos to divest himself of the Post: “The Washington Post has a Bezos problem” https://www.cjr.org/... via @cjr
@deggans: Brian Stelter outlines stakes of newspaper endorsement scandal in his Reliable Sources newsletter for CNN: “The appearance of caving to Trump does real and lasting damage to any enterprise that isn't identified as pro-Trump.” https://view.newsletters.cnn.com/ ...
Franklin Leonard / @franklinleonard: If it was true that he doesn't believe in presidential endorsements, he likely would have announced this policy at some point soon after becoming CEO almost a year ago.
Caleb Howe / Mediaite: ‘Known By Some Scholars As Anticipatory Obedience’: CNN's Stelter Says Concern On WaPo Not Endorsing Harris Is Authoritarian Appeasement
Francois Heinderyckx / @fheinderyckx@mastodon.social: “Whatever a media owner's motivations might be, the appearance of caving to Trump does real and lasting damage to any enterprise that isn't identified as pro-Trump.” writes @brianstelter in a special edition of Reliable Sources. WaPo journalists are afraid that if Trump wins, Bezos won't have their back. …
Quinta Jurecic / @qjurecic.bsky.social: This is so insulting from Lewis. “Did not see the draft I wrote” =/= “did not tell me what to do” [image]
@apocalypticanow.bsky.social: “Trust me, says notorious liar” — www.npr.org/2024/07/30/n... [embedded post]
Dylan Byers / Puck: Washington on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Filip Timotija / The Hill: Trump meets with leaders from Bezos-owned Blue Origin
Debra J. Saunders / Las Vegas Review-Journal: Two liberal newspaper giants refuse to endorse Kamala Harris
Financial Times: Jeff Bezos faces backlash at Washington Post over refusal to run endorsement of Kamala Harris
RELATED:
Hadas Gold / CNN:
Some current WaPo journalists say they have no problem with the editorial board not endorsing in any situation, but the timing of the announcement is troubling — New York CNN — — One day after The Washington Post announced it would not endorse a presidential candidate in this year's election …
Discussion:
Kaiser / Cele|bitchy: Jeff Bezos & Will Lewis ordered WaPo's editors to dump a Kamala Harris endorsement
Mary L. Trump / The Good in Us: The Lights Are Dimming — I'm still thinking about Jeff Bezos' egregious decision to force his paper …
Anna Young / New York Post: Ex-WaPo editor claims Jeff Bezos colluded with Trump to kill Harris endorsement: ‘Quid-pro-quo’
Jilldennison / Filosofa's Word: Goodbye WaPo — Two of the nations major news outlets, The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times …
Bethan Sexton / Daily Mail: Washington Post boss says it wasn't Jeff Bezos who squashed Kamala Harris endorsement
Alan Boyle / GeekWire: Space shots: A tangled web of speculation surrounds Boeing, Blue Origin and Bezos
Jon Passantino / @passantino@threads.net: More than 24 hours after The Post announced it won't endorse in the presidential race, setting off widespread criticism inside and out of the paper, Jeff Bezos is silent via @_hadasgold https://www.cnn.com/...
Joe Cunningham / RedState: Why the Washington Post Won't Endorse Kamala Harris, and Why the Left Is Big Mad About It
Ashleigh Fields / The Hill: Marty Baron on Post endorsement choice: ‘This is cowardice’
Washington Post:
Sources: Washington Post editorial staffers had drafted an endorsement of Harris for president, and then Jeff Bezos made the decision not to publish it — Publisher Will Lewis explained the decision as a return to the newspaper's roots. — For the first time in 36 years …
Discussion:
Salon, NPR, Columbia Journalism Review, @cakitchener, @amuse, @maxwelltani, KDFX-TV, New York Times, @zimbalist, @teroterotero, @asarahlarson, Politico, The Hill, @carolleonnig, @gaufre, @davidfolkenflik, @carlstwitt, @prettybadlefty, @hollywoodspin, @clarajeffery, @lpolgreen, @gabrielsherman, James Gosling on LinkedIn, New York Post, Digby's Hullabaloo, @carolleonnig, @carolleonnig, @karaswisher@threads.net, The Bulwark, @davewiner, @benjamin_goggin_@threads.net, @carnage4life@threads.net, The Guardian, Axios, How Things Work, @jamellebouie.net, @daveleebbg@threads.net, CNBC, @carolleonnig, Le Monde.fr, NBC News, The Verge, @farhip, @digiphile, @whstancil, @ianbassin, @emilybell, @kibblesmith, @davidfolkenflik, @steinkobbe, @froomkin, @maxwelltani, @bymikedavis, @fenitn, @brianstelter, Jon Adams on LinkedIn, John Davis on LinkedIn, Just Security, Debra Silimeo on LinkedIn, Techdirt, alicublog, Showbiz411, Associated Press, The Nation, Breitbart, Fox News, TalkLeft, @kongakong@masto.ai, Ned Hamson's Second Line View …, Raw Story, @palafo@threads.net, @tigerbeat@threads.net, Adweek, @Nonilex@masto.ai, Gizmodo, Advocate, Mediaite, Rich Glover on LinkedIn, @schaffertom@mastodon.social, The Daily Beast, @stevenray@sfba.social, Janine Vanderburg on LinkedIn, @fraying@xoxo.zone, @jbouie@threads.net, @ycombinator@rss-mstdn …, @vladaknowlton@threads.net, @davew@threads.net, @kimberlyeatkins@threads.net, @1elizabeth_jacobs@threads.net, @eric_ginsburg@threads.net, @ericschmeltzer@threads.net, @karenattiah@threads.net, Dovi Frances on LinkedIn, MeidasTouch News, @nealcurtis@mas.to, @michaelhobbes.bsky.social, @pwnallthethings.bsky.social, @pwnallthethings.bsky.social, @sarahjeong.bsky.social, @heidilifeldman@mastodon …, @gregggonsalves@med …, @brooklynmarie.bsky.social, @daveweigel.bsky.social, @aaronschaffer.com, @philnelson@xoxo.zone, @zeblarson@hcommons.social, @suldrew@xoxo.zone, @c_9@mstdn.ca, @robsonfletcher@mas.to, @harrymccracken@mastodon …, @marisakabas.bsky.social, r/technology and r/Journalism
Discussion:
Dan Froomkin / Salon: Billionaires have broken media: Washington Post's non-endorsement is a sickening moral collapse
David Folkenflik / NPR: ‘Washington Post’ won't endorse in White House race for first time since 1980s
Sewell Chan / Columbia Journalism Review: The Washington Post opinion editor approved a Harris endorsement. A week later, Jeff Bezos killed it.
@cakitchener: My mom just told me she cancelled her subscription to The Washington Post. She reads every one of my stories. It was a heartbreaking call. I understand why she did it, but I asked her to reconsider. To anyone who has cancelled or is thinking about cancelling, here's what I said:
Max Tani / @maxwelltani: Scoop: Washington Post editor at large Robert Kagan confirms to me that he resigned from the Post following today's decision not to endorse in the presidential race.
KDFX-TV: Big Tech CEOs are calling up Trump, seeking to rekindle their relationship with the former president ahead of Election Day
Nancy Gibbs / New York Times: The Washington Post and Los Angeles Times Endorsement Calls Are Self-Sabotage
Michael Zimbalist / @zimbalist: This is far and away the best take on the ruckus around the WaPo and LAT endorsements (or lack thereof) that I've seen.
Tero Kuittinen / @teroterotero: Homepage editor took revenge
Sarah Larson / @asarahlarson: Once again I'm reflecting on the time I interviewed a powerful guy who knows Jeff Bezos, and who offhandedly told me, “Jeff has personal reasons for wanting to get to Mars ... I'm not comfortable sharing what they are”
Caitlyn Becker / The Hill: These are the major newspapers that have and haven't endorsed Trump and Harris
Carol Leonnig / @carolleonnig: Big credibility hit. Fist bump to @washingtonpost reporters who are fearlessly writing about @JeffBezos' 11th hour endorsement change, as w/ any powerful institution that needs to be held to account. @RoigFranzia Laura Wagner @MerylKornfield Thank you for letting me share my [image]
@gaufre: NONE of the Post workers are asking for a boycott. Cancelling your subscription will only hurt the hardworking journalists and others that have made the Post great.
David Folkenflik / @davidfolkenflik: Read to WaPo/LAT non endorsements from the Independence Caucus, “a group within the national NewsGuild formed to advance journalistic independence within Guild newsrooms and union affairs” They raise “serious Qs” about owners' “commitment to journalistic independence” 👇🏼 [image]
Carl Swanson / @carlstwitt: people keep posting these. and i understand the desire to do something. but did they also cancel their amazon prime? it wasn't the (still excellent) newsroom's decision. [image]
@prettybadlefty: In 2019 Bernie said that The Washington Post was being implicitly biased by Jeff Bezos' ownership. Every liberal OpEd writer and Pundit treated this obviously correct statement like it was the most ridiculous and dangerous thing they had ever heard. Today's news, unrelated:
Richard Horgan / @hollywoodspin: Jarvis DeBerry, who worked for years as editorial writer at Times-Picayune, recalls the time publisher steered the paper towards endorsement at odds with his department. Rather than quit, a colleague joked it was “Reminder That We Work for The Man Day.” https://www.msnbc.com/... [image]
Clara Jeffery / @clarajeffery: From the homepage of the @washingtonpost [image]
Lydia Polgreen / @lpolgreen: This might feel good in the moment, but it will hurt journalism, not Jeff Bezos. A thriving and independent Washington Post that doesn't need a billionaire's pocket change to survive should be the goal here.
Gabriel Sherman / @gabrielsherman: A very high-level member of MAGAworld on @JeffBezos not allowing WaPo to endorse Harris: “Well he saw what happened to his Pentagon cloud computing contract when he was a prick to Trump.”
James Gosling / James Gosling on LinkedIn: Democracy Dies In Darkness... with that darkness moved a step forward by Jeff Bezos. I had thought he was better than this. …
Jon Levine / New York Post: Washington Post reporter ‘heartbroken’ after mom cancels subscription over nixed Harris endorsement: ‘Hurting us, not our owner’
Digby / Digby's Hullabaloo: This Is A Big Deal — Amazon owner Jeff Bezos killed the Washington Post editorial board's …
Carol Leonnig / @carolleonnig: One last note: Please don't cancel your subscriptions. It will only hurt the independent newsgathering my colleagues and I strive to do for you every day. Thank you to many who reached out about this news and agreed to keep subscribing.
Carol Leonnig / @carolleonnig: Dear readers, sources, leaders and friends who have reached out in droves today asking me to quit the @washingtonpost : 1/ I too worry about the timing and odd explanation for The Post's change in endorsement policy. 2/ My fear is that this signals a tip-toeing deference to a
Kara Swisher / @karaswisher@threads.net: If someone wants to leak the Kamala Harris endorsement that Bezos quashed, it would make for interesting reading. And I, for one, am good at getting such documents, as Bezos knows from the old days. Game fucking on.
Jonathan V. Last / The Bulwark: The Guardrails Are Already Crumpling
Benjamin Goggin / @benjamin_goggin_@threads.net: In this media environment I don't really believe that The Washington Post's editorial page endorsing a presidential candidate would have sway with many undecided voters, or is really necessary. But if the Bezos reporting is correct I do think it's an example of how of money in corporate media can squash editorial independence at a publication, which should freak people out.
Dare Obasanjo / @carnage4life@threads.net: The “Democracy dies in darkness” plaque is also giving the same vibe.
Tim Adams / The Guardian: The Washington Post is sitting on the fence at the most dangerous time in history
Hamilton Nolan / How Things Work: Your Opinions Can Be Bad But You Still Have to Tell the Truth
Dave Lee / @daveleebbg@threads.net: Quite. And while I know we all love to see a parade of principled resignations, it's not so easy when it's your mortgage/kid's education/medical bills on the line. Let's be lenient here.
Carol Leonnig / @carolleonnig: I'm a reporter and I don't care who the Post's ed board endorses. A fearless independent newsroom — which we've so far enjoyed under Jeff Bezos' ownership — is what I hope we will maintain.
Piotr Smolar / Le Monde.fr: Harris or Trump? The Washington Post and LA Times, under the influence of their owners, withdraw endorsements
Daniel Arkin / NBC News: The Washington Post ends backing presidential candidates as paper says Bezos axed Harris endorsement
Elizabeth Lopatto / The Verge: Jeff Bezos reportedly killed the Washington Post's Kamala Harris endorsement
Paul Farhi / @farhip: This is getting ugly. Publisher/CEO Will Lewis has been under an ethical cloud since joining the Post in January. And now this? @CJR: Post opinion editor approved a Harris endorsement. A week later, the paper's publisher killed it. https://www.cjr.org/...
Alex Howard / @digiphile: @davidfolkenflik ... This is anticipatory obedience by an oligarch with business before US government: https://www.cjr.org/... As with @latimes not endorsing, the timing left no question. If it had been 6 months ago, fine. @JeffBezos just made a tragic mockery of “Democracy died in darkness.”
Will Stancil / @whstancil: Again: if you work in journalism, and you're horrified at the WaPo decision, the best thing you can do is finally commit yourself to covering Trump's threat to democracy with the vigor it deserves, starting TODAY. Just hours ago he threatened to round up critics. Talk about it.
Ian Bassin / @ianbassin: If billionaires and newspapers are refusing to endorse against Trump *before* he's even in power, imagine how they'll act when he can direct the federal govt against them. Imagine how the press will act after FOUR years of this. How will voters get accurate information in 2028?
Emily Bell / @emilybell: Imagine owning a news organisation where one of your journalists was hacked to death by a dictator, and then not doing *everything* in your power to defeat his fans and enablers...
Daniel Kibblesmith / @kibblesmith: I am canceling my subscription to the incognito window I read free Washington Post articles in.
David Folkenflik / @davidfolkenflik: UPDATE: Robert Kagan confirms to NPR that he has resigned from WaPost editorial board after disclosure it would not make an announcement. Kagan has been a persistent conservative critic of Trump, tying him to an autocratic tradition. Uniformly outraged response from staff.
@steinkobbe: That's crazy can't believe one of the good liberal billionaires would do that. The ultra rich have historically been so good at fighting fascism
Dan Froomkin / @froomkin: To honor Kagan, read his marvelous 2023 op-ed about Trump as dictator. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Max Tani / @maxwelltani: Opinion staff at WaPo are furious about the paper's endorsement decision. Several are contemplating what action to take, ranging from resigning, quitting the board, or a statement. “If you don't have the balls to own a newspaper, don't,” one Post opinion employee tells me.
Mike Davis / @bymikedavis: I don't have much of an issue with newspapers not endorsing candidates. In 2024, they aren't moving the needle one bit. But to decline to do so two weeks be for an election simply in an act of fence-sitting, so you can curry favor with whoever wins? That's cowardice.
Brian Stelter / @brianstelter: Kudos to the @washingtonpost media reporting team today (and every day!)
Jon Adams / Jon Adams on LinkedIn: I typically don't comment much on media but I will just note that The Washington Post is highlighting that democracy doesn't die in darkness …
John Davis / John Davis on LinkedIn: Jeff Bezos, owner of the The Washington Post, wants to defend his largest revenue streams in case America elects a president willing to use …
Rebecca Hamilton / Just Security: On Dictatorship and Self-Censorship: Lessons the Owner of a Sudanese Newspaper Could Give Jeff Bezos
Debra Silimeo / Debra Silimeo on LinkedIn: Silence is complicity. I think the Post might want to think again about its motto, Democracy Dies in Darkness. The Washington Post #editorial #election #democracy #pressfreedom …
Roy Edroso / alicublog: FRIDAY 'ROUND-THE-HORN: JEFF BEZOS IS A PARASITIC PIECE OF SHIT WHO SHOULD BE TAXED INTO OBLIVION EDITION.
Roger Friedman / Showbiz411: Watergate Stars Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein Say Washington Post Editorial Decision is “Disappointing”
Associated Press: Two more LA Times editorial board members resign after the paper withholds a Harris endorsement
Elizabeth Weibel / Breitbart: Washington Post Editor Robert Kagan Resigns After Newspaper's Non-Endorsement of Harris
Fox News: Washington Post union, staffers revolt over decision not to endorse a presidential candidate, blame Bezos
@kongakong@masto.ai: I cancelled my Washington Post subscription when the new CEO Matt Murray fired Sally Buzbee, the executive editor at the time, and tried to parachute a very dubious Robert Winnett from The Telegraph into the role. It was around Jun/July this year. — I know the newspaper would head in the wrong direction. …
Nedhamson / Ned Hamson's Second Line View of the News: Washington Post: 17 Opinion Writers Disagree with Bezos' Fiat to Stop Endorsing For President
Erik De La Garza / Raw Story: Jeff Bezos just taught American businessmen a ‘lesson’: Bulwark editor
Patrick LaForge / @palafo@threads.net: I don't think that newspaper editorials or endorsements really matter all that much, especially for national races. Ironically, suppressing them gives them far more weight and says a lot about your institution's health and integrity. …
Steve Rhodes / @tigerbeat@threads.net: And if a newspaper in DC shouldn't endorse for president, it also shouldn't endorse for senate & congress like the Washington Post has this year https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Mark Mwachiro / Adweek: Ticker: The Washington Post and The Los Angeles Times Will Not Endorse a Presidential Candidate
@Nonilex@masto.ai: CJR: “Ian Bassin, a #democracy expert, calls these moves ‘anticipatory obedience’: fear by owners that if #Trump wins he could take #vengeance on companies that cross him. They noted that the leadership at CNN & the #WashingtonPost changed after the Trump administration tried to block the takeover of CNN's parent company & tried to deny a cloud computing contract for #Amazon, #Bezos's company.” …
John Casey / Advocate: In a critical election, the Washington Post and Los Angeles Times endorse fascism
Ahmad Austin Jr / Mediaite: 'We Aren't Afraid to Take a Stand': Editorial Writer at The Philadelphia Inquirer Roasts LA Times And Washington Post For Not Endorsing
Rich Glover / Rich Glover on LinkedIn: Washington Post is not endorsing Kamela Harris — Kamela Harris - “He's Hitler” — Washington Post - “Yeah we've thought about it and we're still not going to endorse you over Hitler. …
Tom Schaffer / @schaffertom@mastodon.social: “This makes it more clear than ever: You cannot be a truly independent news organization if you are owned by an oligarch.” — https://www.salon.com/...
Harry Lambert / The Daily Beast: Top Editors Eviscerate Jeff Bezos' Decision to Kill WaPo Endorsement
@stevenray@sfba.social: “This is cowardice, a moment of darkness that will leave democracy as a casualty. Donald Trump will celebrate this as an invitation to further intimidate The Post's owner, Jeff Bezos (and other media owners),” former Post executive editor Martin Baron, who led the paper while Trump was president, said in a text message to The Post. …
Janine Vanderburg / Janine Vanderburg on LinkedIn: “Democracy dies in darkness.” Or, in the light of day, The Washington Post? — #Cowardice — https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Derek Powazek / @fraying@xoxo.zone: If you wanna read something great, just this one time, read the comments on this story. Every one is livid. 10k so far and coming in too fast to keep up with. — https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ... [image]
Jamelle Bouie / @jbouie@threads.net: unbelievable to me that institutions like the washington post are rolling over in advance for an addled old man who is visibly falling apart before our eyes. disgraceful
@ycombinator@rss-mstdn.studiofreesia.co m: Jeff Bezos kills Washington Post editorial board presidential endorsement — https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ... #ycombinator
Vlada Knowlton / @vladaknowlton@threads.net: Yes, during this very frightening period, when we are understandably expressing outrage at all the news media cowards bowing down to fascism, this is an important reminder to recognize and thank all the journalists fighting the good fight and reporting the truth about the GOP's fascist candidate. …
Dave Winer / @davew@threads.net: Do not obey in advance.
Kimberly Atkins Stohr / @kimberlyeatkins@threads.net: If this was really about “returning to our roots” y'all would have made this call before the election season started. We see you. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Elizabeth Jacobs / @1elizabeth_jacobs@threads.net: TL;DR of Washington Post non-endorsement announcement: The race is too close and Jeff Bezos may have all the money but he's morally bankrupt.
Eric Ginsburg / @eric_ginsburg@threads.net: A reminder who controls mainstream media. https://www.cnbc.com/...
Eric Schmeltzer / @ericschmeltzer@threads.net: There is nothing - nothing - keeping the editorial boards of the LA Times and Washington Post from publishing their endorsements online, on Substack or elsewhere, and explaining in blunt terms why they were silenced by their own newspaper. In fact, I would very highly urge them to do so, immediately.
Karen Attiah / @karenattiah@threads.net: Today has been an absolute stab in the back. What an insult to those of us who have literally put our careers and lives on the line to call out threats to human rights and democracy.
Dovi Frances / Dovi Frances on LinkedIn: Shocking - One of the most left wing publication in the Americas The Washington Post, with 11 days left for the elections …
Aaron Parnas / MeidasTouch News: Washington Post Editor At Large Resigns Over Newspaper's Non-Endorsement: Report
@nealcurtis@mas.to: Bezos is a Trump supporter. File with the Pope is Catholic stories. — The Washington Post opinion editor approved a Harris endorsement. A week later, the paper's publisher killed it. - Columbia Journalism Review — https://www.cjr.org/... [image]
Michael Hobbes / @michaelhobbes.bsky.social: People are going to spin this as “I can't believe you rubes think the WaPo endorsement would have moved any votes” but it's not about the poll results, it's about elite institutions doing the bare minimum to stave off authoritarianism.
@pwnallthethings.bsky.social: WaPo losing subscriptions won't impact Bezos much; he won't care. Amazon losing a bunch of prime subscribers and their black friday sales being lower than expected will cause more alarm at the meetings he attends
@pwnallthethings.bsky.social: for folks cancelling their WaPo subscriptions, I get it, but consider also cancelling your Amazon Prime membership or deciding to buy things later this year from another retailer
Sarah Jeong / @sarahjeong.bsky.social: i will defend anyone's right to cancel a subscription as an act of conscience. that said, this may be relevant to those thinking about it: — wapo news desk was the first to publish that bezos had a direct hand in killing the endorsement, and that's *fucking wild as shit*
Heidi Li Feldman / @heidilifeldman@mastodon.social: Here's former Washington Post executive editor Marty Baron saying what needs to be said about the Post's decision not to endorse a Presidential candidate: “This is cowardice, a moment of darkness that will leave democracy as a casualty. ... …
Gregg Gonsalves / @gregggonsalves@med-mastodon.com: A non-endorsement in this election with the seriousness of what is at stake is an implicit endorsement of Donald J. Trump. This is complicity, cravenness and cowardice. https://www.cjr.org/...
Brooke / @brooklynmarie.bsky.social: I've never liked the “benevolent billionaire” model of journalism and feel pretty validated in that dislike now [embedded post]
Dave Weigel / @daveweigel.bsky.social: “The decision not to publish was made by The Post's owner — Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.” — I worked at the paper for seven years and Bezos never interfered with a thing. This is five-alarm fire stuff. — www.washingtonpost.com/style/media/ ...
Aaron Schaffer / @aaronschaffer.com: A statement from Post Guild leadership on the Washington Post's decision to not endorse a presidential candidate [image]
Phil Nelson / @philnelson@xoxo.zone: The guy who owns Amazon is such a big Trump supporter he ordered the newspaper he also owns to not publish their already-written editorial endorsement for Harris. When I talk about the wealthy protecting class interests at the expense of all else this is exactly what I mean https://www.cjr.org/...
Zeb Larson / @zeblarson@hcommons.social: Whatever else is true (and a lot is true), 2024 is the year where national media in the U.S. revealed how hopelessly inadequate it is, at all levels. I don't fault reporters or individual editorialists: this is an indictment of its leadership and its business structure. …
Cameron MacLeod / @c_9@mstdn.ca: Jeff Bezos in 2013: “I understand the critical role the Post plays in Washington, D.C., and our nation and the Post's values will not change. Our duty to readers will continue to be the heart of the Post, and I am very optimistic about the future,” Bezos said in a statement. https://www.pcmag.com/... …
Robson Fletcher / @robsonfletcher@mas.to: “This is cowardice, a moment of darkness that will leave democracy as a casualty,” former Washington Post Executive Editor Martin Baron said. — “Donald Trump will celebrate this as an invitation to further intimidate The Post's owner, Jeff Bezos (and other media owners). …
Harry McCracken / @harrymccracken@mastodon.social: Not a great sign that it's the CEO writing this note to readers. He shouldn't be involved in this decision. https://www.npr.org/...
Marisa Kabas / @marisakabas.bsky.social: let me make something perfectly clear: the endorsements are a secondary issue. this is about billionaires exerting control over the editorial process. freedom of the press is under direct threat. [embedded post]
Washington Post:
A group of 18 WaPo columnists says it's the wrong time to not endorse for president, as one candidate advocates for positions that threaten freedom of the press — The newspaper's refusal to endorse a presidential candidate is a mistake. — By 18 Post Opinions columnists
Discussion:
Washington Post, Washington Post, Newser, NPR, Townhall, @roigfranzia, The Federalist, @byheatherlong, @Centurion480@mastodon.social, RedState, @milbank, @postopinions, @benmullin, @kasparov63, @mccartneywp, Salon, @oliverdarcy@threads.net, @Bongolian@universeodon.com, Raw Story, @mbrauchli@threads.net, @dankennedy_nu@threads.net, @StefanEJones@dice.camp, @jscalzi@threads.net, @simondowens@threads.net, @oliverdarcy@threads.net, Breitbart, @drewharwell@threads.net, New York Post, @bencollins.bsky.social, @bencollins.bsky.social, The Wrap and Althouse
Discussion:
Alexandra Petri / Washington Post: It has fallen to me, the humor columnist, to endorse Harris for president
Karen Tumulty / Washington Post: Refusing to endorse a candidate, The Post wounds itself
John Johnson / Newser: Washington Post Cartoonist Skewers Her Own Newspaper
Derek Hunter / Townhall: Now We'll Never Know Who The Washington Post Supports
Manuel Roig-Franzia / @roigfranzia: Highly respected, longtime political writer & @washingtonpost columnist @ktumulty on decision not to issue president endorsement: “The rationale cited in our leaders' statement was an insult to our colleagues throughout this newspaper and to our readers.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Tristan Justice / The Federalist: Leftists Melt Down After Washington Post Editorial Board Declines To Endorse Harris
Heather Long / @byheatherlong: As a former member of the WaPo editorial board (Dec 2021 to Sept 2024), I was stunned by the news today not to endorse. I am one of 10 Post columnists (so far) who signed this joint statement tonight: “The Washington Post's decision not to make an endorsement in the [image]
@Centurion480@mastodon.social: WaPo's left hand would like a word with the WaPo's right hand: “The Washington Post's decision not to make an endorsement in the presidential campaign is a terrible mistake. It represents an abandonment of the fundamental editorial convictions of the newspaper” …
Becca Lower / RedState: Schadenfreude Soars As Liberals Cancel Subs Over WaPo Non-Endorsement of Dem Nominee Harris
Dana Milbank / @milbank: The Washington Post's decision not to endorse in the presidential race is “an abandonment of the fundamental editorial convictions of the newspaper that we love.” A statement from me and other longtime Post columnists: https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
@postopinions: “The Washington Post's decision not to make an endorsement in the presidential campaign is a terrible mistake,” @EJDionne, @IgnatiusPost, Ruth Marcus, Dana @Milbank, @Eugene_Robinson, @JRubinBlogger, @perrybaconjr and @ktumulty write. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Ben Mullin / @benmullin: The dissenting Post opinion columnists: https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ... [image]
Garry Kasparov / @kasparov63: Preemptive and self-censorship is the greatest victory of authoritarians, without a shot being fired. As Havel and others wrote, when the press and regular citizens cower and cringe to toe the line without coercion, freedom is dying.
Robert McCartney / @mccartneywp: Top Post columnists denounce non-endorsement, including @ktumulty @IgnatiusPost @RuthMarcus Gene Robinson. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Alex Galbraith / Salon: “Surprising and disappointing”: Woodward and Bernstein respond to Bezos blocking WaPo endorsement
Oliver Darcy / @oliverdarcy@threads.net: Woodward and Bernstein release joint statement: “We respect the traditional independence of the editorial page, but this decision 11 days out from the 2024 presidential election ignores the Washington Post's own overwhelming reportorial evidence on the threat Donald Trump poses to democracy.” (1/2)
@Bongolian@universeodon.com: 16 Post columnists respond: The newspaper's refusal to endorse a presidential candidate is a mistake. — “The Washington Post's decision not to make an endorsement in the presidential campaign is a terrible mistake. It represents an abandonment of the fundamental editorial convictions of the newspaper that we love. …
Daniel Hampton / Raw Story: ‘Terrible mistake’: WaPo columnists fire back at paper's leadership over nixed endorsement
Marcus Brauchli / @mbrauchli@threads.net: What courage and independence look like on the Washington Post editorial side, something the bosses there might want to learn from.
Dan Kennedy / @dankennedy_nu@threads.net: If Trump wins and he pardons himself, will the @washingtonpost and @latimes run outraged editorials? How about when he sets up detention camps? This goes way beyond a non-endorsement.
Stefan Edward Jones / @StefanEJones@dice.camp: The Washington Post editorial staff reacts to the management's decision not to issue an endorsement for president. — They are not happy. — https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Simon Owens / @simondowens@threads.net: I think what's especially chilling about this WashPo news is that it comes as Trump is getting increasingly explicit about his intentions to punish media outlets he doesn't like. If there were ever a time to not back down, this would be it.
Oliver Darcy / @oliverdarcy@threads.net: “Under Jeff Bezos's ownership, the Washington Post's news operation has used its abundant resources to rigorously investigate the danger and damage a second Trump presidency could cause to the future of American democracy and that makes this decision even more surprising and disappointing, especially this late in the electoral profess.” …
Elizabeth Weibel / Breitbart: Media, Democrats Freak Out Over Washington Post's Non-Endorsement of Kamala Harris
Drew Harwell / @drewharwell@threads.net: Nine @postopinions columnists: “a terrible mistake ... an abandonment of the fundamental editorial convictions of the newspaper that we love, and for which we have worked a combined 218 years” https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Joe Concha / New York Post: Kamala Harris' failure to secure key endorsements suggests her campaign is in free-fall
Tim Onion / @bencollins.bsky.social: “It doesn't work like this.” It sure as shit does! Just do it! Extraordinary times, extraordinary measures, etc. They took the radical step, you're just preserving your integrity.
Tim Onion / @bencollins.bsky.social: Posties can (and should!) get a critical mass and revolt against the weird British guy who runs your paper. It's not like he knows how to use the CMS. All he knows how to do is tap your phone. The tech people will help you. Just publish the thing and stand together. Make him take it down.
David Folkenflik / NPR:
The Washington Post will not endorse a presidential candidate in the 2024 election, “nor in any future election,” writes CEO Will Lewis in a note to readers — Even though the presidential race between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris remains neck and neck …
Discussion:
Washington Post, @brianstelter, Washington Post, Power Line, The Hollywood Reporter, @brianstelter, The New Neo, @maxwelltani, American Crisis, American Thinker, The Independent, The Hollywood Reporter, BizPac Review, @glyph@mastodon.social, @daweiner, @tvietor08, @tvgrimreaper, @jessicalessin, @maxwelltani, @bgrueskin, @brhodes, @davidu, Mediaite, @ilvestoomas, @cgasparino, @markjacob16, @jimstewartson, @robertbalkovich, @leahmcelrath, @abbymcdonald, @deggans, @mikiebarb, @mikeisaac, @dylanbyers, @jonnelledge, @janemayernyer, @heerjeet, @pblest, @tomcoates, @danpfeiffer, @ditzkoff, @semaforben, @benmullin, @statindy, @rexhuppke, @bri_sacks, @drewsav, @kevin_kinkead, @nkulw, @blogoftheirown, @martyswant, James Bruno on LinkedIn, New York Times, Melanie Kahl on LinkedIn, CNN, Janine Zacharia on LinkedIn, The Wrap, Breitbart, @mccartneywp, @jvlast@threads.net, @jvlast@threads.net, @jvlast@threads.net, @alex@masto.digittante.com, The Guardian, Michael Learmonth on LinkedIn, @mlbellar@universeodon.com, @touge@hachyderm.io, Deadline, @benjaminwittes …, @radleybalko.bsky.social, @tomtomorrow.bsky.social, @igb@mastodon.hccp.org, @zurch.bsky.social, @greene.haus, @jesseltaylor.bsky.social, @davekarpf.bsky.social, @swelljoe@mas.to, @virtualbri@mastodon.online, @davekarpf.bsky.social, @greene.haus, @jamellebouie.net, @davekarpf.bsky.social, @dfeldman.bsky.social, @sjjphd.bsky.social, @dfeldman.bsky.social, @kashana.bsky.social and r/Journalism
Discussion:
William Lewis / Washington Post: On political endorsement — A note from the publisher: — William Lewis is publisher …
Brian Stelter / @brianstelter: New statement from Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein: “We respect the traditional independence of the editorial page, but this decision 11 days out from the 2024 presidential election ignores the Washington Post's own overwhelming reportorial evidence on the threat Donald Trump
Ann Telnaes / Washington Post: Democracy Dies in Darkness
Scott Johnson / Power Line: Endorse this — The Washington Post has announced it will not endorse a presidential candidate this year.
Alex Weprin / The Hollywood Reporter: Washington Post Surprise: Paper Now Won't Endorse Presidential Candidates
Brian Stelter / @brianstelter: Washington Post's announcement: “The Washington Post will not be making an endorsement of a presidential candidate in this election. Nor in any future presidential election. We are returning to our roots of not endorsing presidential candidates.”
The New Neo: So, why did the LA Times and the WaPo decide not to endorse anyone this year for the presidency?
Max Tani / @maxwelltani: New Yorker EIC David Remnick, who started his career at the Washington Post and worked there for a decade, emails me his thoughts on today's non-endorsement decision [image]
Margaret Sullivan / American Crisis: We needed courage. We got cowardice.
Graig Graziosi / The Independent: Legendary Watergate reporters Woodward and Bernstein slam Washington Post for shying away from endorsement
Christy Piña / The Hollywood Reporter: Bob Woodward, Carl Bernstein Say Washington Post Decision to Not Endorse Presidential Candidate Is “Disappointing”
Glyph / @glyph@mastodon.social: people roasting the “democracy dies in darkness” headline are honestly not going nearly as hard as wapo's own staff https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
David Weiner / @daweiner: If you're afraid that a presidential candidate will retaliate against your business interests due to a paper you own's endorsement of their opponent, that should be the first sentence in your endorsement.
Tommy Vietor / @tvietor08: The WaPo endorsing Harris would move exactly zero voters her way, but still lol at this cowardly shit from the crew that brought us “democracy dies in darkness”
@tvgrimreaper: Tired: Laying off newspaper staff because the business loses money. Wired: Getting newspaper staff to lay themselves off by not endorsing a presidential candidate.
Jessica Lessin / @jessicalessin: A person could make interesting arguments on both sides of whether today, a newspaper should endorse a political candidate or whether readers should care. But you cannot argue changes in policy at washpo and Latimes within two weeks of an election— as the polls tip slightly more
Max Tani / @maxwelltani: Opinion staff at WaPo are furious about the paper's endorsement decision. Several are contemplating what action to take, ranging from resigning, quitting the board, or a statement. “If you doin't have the balls to own a newspaper, don't,” one Post opinion employee tells me.
Bill Grueskin / @bgrueskin: Here's the thing about these LAT/WPost non-endorsements. They're unimportant politically; few votes would be swayed. But the billionaire owners are (intentionally or not) sending a signal to the newsrooms: Prepare to accommodate your coverage to a Trump regime. [image]
Ben Rhodes / @brhodes: There is no logic that isn't damning as to why the Washington Post and LA Times feel they can endorse in every local, state and federal election other than a presidential race.
David Ulevitch / @davidu: Incredible to see the major cracks appearing as a result of the constant media lies (on Kamala, on Trump, on Biden, on Israel, on Europe, etc.). They can't say the truth about Kamala nor can they endorse a man they compare to Hitler, so WaPo now, and LA Times endorse nobody—Wild! [image]
Kipp Jones / Mediaite: Legendary Washington Post Watergate Reporters Blast Paper's Decision Not to Endorse a Candidate
@ilvestoomas: When major newspapers begin pre-emptively to self-censor you can no longer trust their content. My parents saw this when the Sovs occupied Estonia. Friends from a number of once liberal democracies have seen it. We always see it in the dimming crepuscular light before a
Charles Gasparino / @cgasparino: woke reporters over there are losing their minds
Mark Jacob / @markjacob16: As fascism rose in America, the Washington Post adopted the slogan “Democracy dies in darkness.” Now WaPo has turned cowardly, skipping a presidential endorsement to appease Trump. Perhaps WaPo will change its slogan to: Democracy dies in our silence. https://www.npr.org/...
@jimstewartson: I cannot imagine a more disgraceful move by a newspaper I grew up with—whose motto is “Democracy dies in darkness.” Just devastating to see once great institutions be laid so low. However, and this is important, now you will get to really see who is who. Never let them forget.
Robert Balkovich / @robertbalkovich: Legacy media is facing a red alert crisis. If the paper whose slogan is “Democracy Dies in Darkness” cannot bring itself to endorse the candidate running against someone vowing to destroy press freedom there needs to be some kind of serious intervention and change.
Leah McElrath / @leahmcelrath: To be fair, the @washingtonpost said, “Democracy dies in darkness.” They never said they wouldn't participate in killing it in broad daylight.
Abby McDonald / @abbymcdonald: Democracy dies in darkness, except when 43% of our potential customer base prefers the darkness, in which case it's a valid viewpoint that must be respected by keeping the lights off for everyone.
@deggans: The Washington Post makes it official: It has published a statement from its publisher saying that, for the first time in many years, it will not endorse a candidate in the presidential race, though it has endorsed candidates in other races. https://www.cnn.com/...
Michael Barbaro / @mikiebarb: A WaPo endorsement for president had been written and was ready to publish before Jeff Bezos decided the paper would not endorse. [image]
Rat King / @mikeisaac: the throughline is tech corporate stewardship and bracing for a trump presidency big tech moguls who dont own media companies doing the same even if you believe editorial board influence is waning in the internet age, i cant see how this does anything but neuter them further
Dylan Byers / @dylanbyers: Marty Baron, famed former Washington Post editor of the Democracy Dies in Darkness era, weighs in >
Jonn Elledge / @jonnelledge: well this feels fucking stupid
Jane Mayer / @janemayernyer: When Bezos brought in Lewis, a Murdoch guy, the handwriting was in the wall.
Jeet Heer / @heerjeet: Billionaires know that Trump will exact revenge if they endorse Harris and he wins but that Harris will not exact revenge if she wins and they didn't endorse anyone. That's what these non-endorsements are about.
Tom Coates / @tomcoates: Genuinely cannot imagine a scenario where a serious journalistic organization ought to be rising to the occasion and articulating the clarity of the choice. They're like, “Hannibal Lecter vs. Clarice Starling - reasonable people can come to different positions about who is best”
Dan Pfeiffer / @danpfeiffer: The @washingtonpost endorsement moves less than zero votes in a presidential race, but announcing this with 10 days to go right after Trump's COS says he's a fascist is so dumb. Proving once again there is no one worse at PR than media companies
Ben Smith / @semaforben: Just... impossible timing for this announcement to be read as a statement of principal
Ben Mullin / @benmullin: new: Washington Post publisher Will Lewis explains why The Post won't be endorsing for president: [image]
Sherrod Brown Dem / @statindy: Insane actually. WaPo endorses all the time for Virginia/Maryland/DC elections
Rex Huppke / @rexhuppke: These are not good signs. I don't think newspaper endorsements matter much anymore, honestly, but the reluctance to do them suggests timidity and a fear of retribution from Trump. That ain't the way news organizations are supposed to function.
Brianna Sacks / @bri_sacks: We won a Pulitzer for public service for our coverage of the Jan. 6 insurrection
@drewsav: These newspapers are making strange decisions given that their subscriber base is overwhelmingly Democrats.
Kevin Kinkead / @kevin_kinkead: find me one person under the age of 30 who cares about newspaper political endorsements
Noah Kulwin / @nkulw: “We” has never meant Jeff Bezos this much
@blogoftheirown: It just reeks of integrity for the WaPo to wring their hands over whether to risk Bezos's wrath by endorsing Kamala....while still proudly displaying the “Democracy dies in darkness” slogan they added after the 2016 election.
Marty Swant / @martyswant: For context, here is @oliverdarcy's report from this week: https://www.status.news/... [image]
James Bruno / James Bruno on LinkedIn: Pay close attention. This is is a manifestation of creeping fascism - when moneybags owners of news media preemptively self-censor in fear of retribution by a would-be tyrant close to winning power. …
Melanie Kahl / Melanie Kahl on LinkedIn: “We'd like to accelerate our mission of ‘Democracy Dies in Darkness’ by turning off the lights.” - The Washington Post* (*not an actual quote, but could be) …
Hadas Gold / CNN: Washington Post will not endorse a candidate in 2024 presidential election, breaking decades of tradition
Janine Zacharia / Janine Zacharia on LinkedIn: I have been in discussions over the years with the editorial page editors of major news outlets. I am familiar with the arguments for and against endorsing national political candidates. …
Ross A. Lincoln / The Wrap: LA Times Owner Patrick Soon-Shiong ‘Has No Regrets’ About Harris Endorsement Uproar After Staff Protests
Alana Mastrangelo / Breitbart: ‘Star Trek’ Star George Takei Calls for Amazon Boycott After WaPo Owner Jeff Bezos Blocks the Paper's Harris Endorsement
Robert McCartney / @mccartneywp: There are reports that The Washington Post may decline to endorse anyone for president. It would be first time that's happened since 1988. There's speculation in newsroom that owner Jeff Bezos may want to avoid risk of endangering Amazon's government contracts if Trump wins.
Jonathan V. Last / @jvlast@threads.net: Jeff Bezos is the most consequential entrepreneur of his generation. And if *he* has to preemptively accommodate Trump, then *everyone* at every level of business and industry will notice it. If you run some widget factory in MA that makes parts for the DoD, you're taking note of this. …
Jonathan V. Last / @jvlast@threads.net: And that's the take-away from the Washington Post's refusal to endorse Kamala Harris. It's not about the paper or the journalists. It's about every wealthy executive and business owner in America being shown that if *Jeff Bezos* fears retribution from Trump, they should, too. …
Jonathan V. Last / @jvlast@threads.net: The thing to understand about the WaPo's Friday afternoon news dump about scuttling their endorsement is that the endorsement doesn't matter at all. Even the media angle doesn't matter at all. This story is *entirely* about the relationship of the business community to the prospect of a second Trump administration. …
@alex@masto.digittante.com: Seems strange that #WilliamLewis, publisher of the #washingtonpost and an employer of journalists, would choose ‘independence’ rather than condemn a candidate who threatens to imprison him and his workforce. But I guess, “go with the billionaire who brought you”, right? — https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ... …
Margaret Sullivan / The Guardian: The Washington Post and LA Times refused to endorse a candidate. Why?
Michael Learmonth / Michael Learmonth on LinkedIn: What's unconscionable about this is the timing: fine to say you're getting out of the presidential endorsements business …
@mlbellar@universeodon.com: “Fascism comes to America” - the silence of bent knees — If we the people survive this election, Never Forget, Never Forgive. — https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/ ...
Mike Tougeron / @touge@hachyderm.io: What the actual $*&?!? With all of their editorial posts, criticisms of #Trump, warnings about what his presidency would entail, etc, they decide not to endorse #Harris?!? What a spineless, weak, pitiful decision. How can they make all of those claims yet not endorse her? …
Benjamin Wittes / @benjaminwittes@thecooltable.wtf: As a longtime member of the Washington Post editorial page staff, this genuinely shocks me. My thoughts are with my former colleagues. And I'm just going to say out loud that this would never have happened under Fred Hiatt or Meg Greenfield. Never. — https://www.npr.org/...
Radley Balko / @radleybalko.bsky.social: I don't know how this ends, but it's now abundantly clear that It Could Happen Here. — I'll never get over the craven blind-eyeing and preemptive supplication from people, groups, and institutions who ought to know better. — I hope voters bail us out. But we've been tested. And too many have failed.
@tomtomorrow.bsky.social: With all respect to many talented and thoughtful journos within the system, big media has failed spectacularly.
Anthony Zurcher / @zurch.bsky.social: Newspaper editorials have been dying for a while. A vestigial organ from a different era, like an appendix. This year is going to speed along their demise.
Greg Greene / @greene.haus: Exactly. More nonprofit news co-ops, please, and more policy at the federal level to nurture and subsidize them. Enough waiting for billionaires or Godot to save us; we'll have to do it ourselves. [embedded post]
@jesseltaylor.bsky.social: democracy dies in darkness, but we exhibited massive moral cowardice at noon eastern when the sun was out, so
@davekarpf.bsky.social: (3) the only POSSIBLE defense of this decision is “eh, our editorial statements don't really matter anyway.” — And y'know what? That's semi-true. The election outcome isn't going to hinge on Will Lewis possessing a spine or a conscience. — But you cannot run a newsroom if you don't think it matters.
Joe Cooper / @swelljoe@mas.to: The billionaires who own the largest media are putting their thumbs on the scale with more enthusiasm of late. I guess there's no point in owning the media, if you can't use it to lower your taxes at the expense of literally every other human on earth. https://www.npr.org/...
Brian Tatosky / @virtualbri@mastodon.online: https://www.npr.org/... MSM is not on your side, example #12313141 — #USPol #WashingtonPost
@davekarpf.bsky.social: (2) This decision is obviously some mix of “we would like access if Trump wins,” “we would like Trump not to attack our business if Trump wins, and “we would like Trump not to punish our owner's other companies if Trump wins. All of those reasons are semi-rational, but extraordinarily cowardly.
Greg Greene / @greene.haus: WaPo leadership then: “Democracy dies in darkness.” — now: (*hits the dimmer switch, sets mood lighting*) [embedded post]
Jamelle / @jamellebouie.net: a free press is essential to democracy but these specific institutions are not www.npr.org/2024/10/25/n...
@davekarpf.bsky.social: This is extraordinary on three levels. (All of them bad. We're talking levels-of-hell here, obviously.) — 1. From a narrow business perspective, news orgs like WaPo benefitted in 2017-21 by branding themselves as courageous journalistic defenders of democracy. — (...) [embedded post]
Daniel Feldman / @dfeldman.bsky.social: (Keep in mind Bezos' own marriage was blown up due to retaliation during the first Trump campaign. So he has some experience with this.)
Sarah J. Jackson / @sjjphd.bsky.social: It's almost like there's an argument to be made that billionaires shouldn't control newspapers or universities
Max Tani / Semafor:
WaPo editor-at-large Robert Kagan quits after the late move to not endorse in the presidential race; source: subscription cancellations are unusually high — The Scoop — The Washington Post's leadership recently sought meetings with the Democratic and Republican nominees for president …
Discussion:
The Daily Beast, @elonmusk, New York Post, @amasad, @stephenwalt, The Atlantic, Townhall, @bascule@mas.to, @joshtpm, Media Nation, Benzinga, Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion, @davidfolkenflik, Alternet.org, @farhip, @tvmojoe, @kateaurthur, @kateaurthur, @obrien_kat@mastodon.world, @davidfolkenflik, @bradfordpearson, @postguild, @elienyc, @radleybalko.bsky.social, Fox News, @conniewilson_33931@me.dm, @AlanSill@mast.hpc.social, @paezha@mastodon.online, Ned Hamson's Second Line View …, @jppullen@threads.net, The National Pulse, Business Insider, @Bellison22@mastodon.social and @smurfburger.bsky.social
Discussion:
Lily Mae Lazarus / The Daily Beast: Ex-WaPo Editor: This Is a Straight Bezos-Trump ‘Quid Pro Quo’
Anna Young / New York Post: Washington Post publisher says he killed Kamala Harris endorsement, not Jeff Bezos: report
Amjad Masad / @amasad: If you canceled your newspaper subscription because they're striving to be more objective you are basically saying “I only read news that reinforce my biases.”
Stephen Walt / @stephenwalt: Cancelling my @washingtonpost subscription was one of the easiest decisions I've ever made.
Ellen Cushing / The Atlantic: Don't Cancel The Washington Post. Cancel Amazon Prime.
Sarah Arnold / Townhall: Susan Rice Was Not Happy When WaPo Refused to Endorse Kamala
Tony Arcieri / @bascule@mas.to: I went to cancel my WaPo subscription only to discover I had already cancelled my subscription over some other thing they'd done. Talk about jumping the shark. Thanks, Bezos! — Seems like a sad ending for an outlet whose Pulitzer prize-winning reporting broke the Watergate scandal and whose motto is “Democracy dies in darkness”. …
Josh Marshall / @joshtpm: I think a lot of people are actually canceling their wapo subs. It's not like the usual round of claims. But I think the brand damage to the Post may be greater than people realize and go beyond the near term hit on subs. A big slice of America is living in a climate of ....
Dan Kennedy / Media Nation: The fallout from the Post's gutless decision; plus, my 2018 book portrayed a very different Bezos
Bibhu Pattnaik / Benzinga: Bezos Faces Newsroom Rebellion Over Decision To Kill Washington Post Harris Endorsement
Stacey Matthews / Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion: ‘October Surprise’: WaPo Newsroom, Leftists Erupt Over Decision Not To Endorse Kamala
David Folkenflik / @davidfolkenflik: Mini update: The furor at the WaPo is such that its chief tech officer is getting engineers to block Qs about its decision to not make an endorsement pm the Post's own AI site search, This according to internal WP correspondence I've reviewed
Maya Boddie / Alternet.org: Former WaPo editor reveals ‘proof’ of Trump's ‘backroom deal’ with Amazon founder: report
Paul Farhi / @farhip: Fallout from Jeff Bezos' decision not to have the @washingtonpost endorse a presidential candidate: —Widespread (negative) news coverage; —Internal staff protest; —Guild complaint; —Published protest letter from eight columnists; —~2,000(?) subscription cancellations...More...
@tvmojoe: @KateAurthur I have annual subscriptions that don't expire until late December/April 2025. I canceled to send a message and will likely re-up at some point. Totally respect the other POV, but what other tool do readers have?
Kate Aurthur / @kateaurthur: @TVMoJoe Nothing will stop the billionaires, which is the problem. Reaching out to them directly, and then making that public, would be what I'd do. But cancellations will just cause further layoffs. There's no real answer here! Like Jeff Bezos gives a fuck? And with this rotten family,
@obrien_kat@mastodon.world: @Mediagazer kudos to him. Way back in May 2016, months before Trump was even elected, Kagan wrote this prescient piece https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
David Folkenflik / @davidfolkenflik: As I reported on the air tonight, the Washington Post registered 1600+ cancelations of digital subscriptions in the first three hours after my story broke, according to internal WP correspondence I've reviewed. That's bananas.
Bradford Pearson / @bradfordpearson: It's so disheartening to see people cancelling their LA Times and Washington Post subscriptions due to decisions made by billionaires. These cancellations hurt the reporters, editors, photographers, and designers doing the real work, not the owners.
@postguild: Are you a Washington Post reader concerned with today's decision for the Editorial Board to not endorse a candidate this election cycle? Send a letter to CEO and Publisher Will Lewis and Editorial Page Editor David Shipley: https://actionnetwork.org/... [image]
Elie Mystal / @elienyc: I'm getting sick of people saying “cancelling subscriptions hurts the writers not the owners.” It's an objectively true statement that lacks the context of: A. Well if we're being real about NOTHING *hurts* billionaires. Being a billionaire literally buys you out of consequences
Radley Balko / @radleybalko.bsky.social: Just a reminder: Sen. JD Vance sent a letter to DOJ demanding that Kagan be criminally investigated for writing the column below. — He wanted a journalist criminally investigated. For writing a column. Fascist Teddy Ruxpin then had the gall to wax about censorship at the VP debate. [image]
Fox News: Washington Post editor at large quits after paper declines to endorse presidential candidate
Connie Wilson / @conniewilson_33931@me.dm: @Mediagazer. I just cancelled my WaPo subscription. Now I'm making plans to extricate myself from Amazon. I've wanted to do this for a long time. The straw that broke was unusually large and loud. My apologies to the Camel.
Alan Sill / @AlanSill@mast.hpc.social: @Mediagazer Reminder to support news outlets that are doing the right thing. If you cancel your subscription over an issue like this, take action to find and subscribe to or send support to at least as many as you canceled!
@paezha@mastodon.online: #WaPo's editor-at-large Robert Kagan resigned, saying that “if [Bezos] does not have the balls to own a newspaper, then don't” — This is such a stupid take. — It is not a matter of Bezos having the balls to stand up for democracy: it is that Bezos is all balls in for fascism. …
Nedhamson / Ned Hamson's Second Line View of the News: Why I Did Not Cancel My Subscription to the Washington Post
John Patrick Pullen / @jppullen@threads.net: It's kind of wild that The Washington Post had the courage to publish the Pentagon Papers (after NYT, but still) in 1971, exposing Vietnam decisions and military operations — but now in 2024, it's former military generals with the courage to speak out about what they saw in the Trump administration, and the Post is silent on its editorial page.
William Upton / The National Pulse: WaPo Columnist Resigns After Paper Refuses to Endorse Kamala. Guess Who He's Married To!
Lucia Moses / Business Insider: ‘People are furious’: Bezos faces a Washington Post revolt after he reportedly blocked the paper from endorsing Harris
@Bellison22@mastodon.social: One has to speculate if these billionaires even care that they are stomping Democracy and destroying the careers of good journalists... Editor resigns, subscribers cancel as Washington Post non-endorsement prompts crisis at Bezos paper — https://www.semafor.com/... [image]
Marty Baron / @postbaron:
Ex-WaPo editor Martin Baron calls the paper's lack of an endorsement “cowardice” and says Trump will see it as “an invitation to further intimidate” Jeff Bezos — On political endorsement https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ... This is cowardice, with democracy as its casualty. @realdonaldtrump will see this as an invitation to further intimidate owner @jeffbezos (and others). Disturbing spinelessness at an institution famed for courage.
Discussion:
New York Times, The Guardian, The Bulwark, Lawyers, Guns & Money, HuffPost, The Hill, Press Watch, Twitchy, Raw Story, @maranissdavid, New York Post, The Dworkin Report, @davidfolkenflik, @brianklaas, @brianstelter, Slate, @mollyjongfast, @davidfolkenflik, Salon, @annabower, @donwinslow, @markjacob16, @bgrueskin, @jeffjarvis, @piersmorgan, @ggreenwald, @ggreenwald, @wajahatali, @ecgreaves, Scripting News, @brendan.j.nyhan@threads.net, @sanderlinr@threads.net, @yonetteajoseph@threads.net, @palafo@threads.net, @dankennedy_nu@threads.net, @jswatz_tx@threads.net, Robert Reich, CBS News, @donmoyn.bsky.social, John Robinson on LinkedIn, Associated Press, @espiers.bsky.social, @espiers.bsky.social, @debholleync@threads.net, @johnburnsnc@threads.net, Status and @fraying@xoxo.zone
Discussion:
Edward Helmore / The Guardian: Washington Post cartoon team skewers paper's decision not to make endorsement
Benjamin Wittes / The Bulwark: The Washington Post Bends the Knee to Trump
Scott Lemieux / Lawyers, Guns & Money: NY Times tries to sanewash Patrick Soon-Shiong's capitulation to Trump
Ben Blanchet / HuffPost: Liz Cheney Calls Out Washington Post Owner Jeff Bezos After Paper's Decision To Not Endorse
Ashleigh Fields / The Hill: Woodward, Bernstein rip Washington Post for withholding endorsement: ‘Disappointing’
Dan Froomkin / Press Watch: A sickening moral collapse at the Washington Post
Doug P. / Twitchy: Ex WaPo Editor Concerned Because Not Endorsing Harris Harms the Mission of Independent Journalism
Tom Boggioni / Raw Story: ‘Sell the paper!’ Michael Steele flattens WaPo owner Bezos for spiking Harris endorsement
Jon Levine / New York Post: Watergate reporters Woodward and Bernstein calls Washington Post decision to not endorse Kamala Harris ‘disappointing’
Scott Dworkin / The Dworkin Report: WaPo Pulling Kamala Endorsement Previews What a Trump Dictatorship Looks Like
David Folkenflik / @davidfolkenflik: In his memoir, “Collision of Power,” Marty Baron wrote that then publisher Fred Ryan did not want to make an endorsement in the 2016 Clinton v Trump race. Editorial page editor Fred Hiatt considered resigning. Bezos's reply at the time: “Why wouldn't we make an endorsement?”
Brian Klaas / @brianklaas: I used to write for the Washington Post. I now write for The Atlantic. The Post just made an absurdly pathetic, cowardly decision not to endorse. Meanwhile, the Atlantic endorsed for only the 5th time in 167 years of publishing because the stakes are so high.
Brian Stelter / @brianstelter: A member of the Wash Post editorial department tells me: Bezos's decision not to endorse is “an outrageous abdication of responsibility. Democracy doesn't die in darkness, it dies when people anticipatorily consent to a fascist's whims.”
Molly Jong-Fast / @mollyjongfast: This is what @TimothyDSnyder calls “obeying in advance.”
David Folkenflik / @davidfolkenflik: From the Post's former media reporter
Charles R. Davis / Salon: “This is cowardice”: Ex-editor blasts Washington Post after Jeff Bezos blocks Harris endorsement
Anna Bower / @annabower: Lawfare editor-in-chief Benjamin Wittes, who wrote for the Washington Post's editorial page for nearly a decade, on the decision by the paper's ownership not to endorse a presidential candidate: “The Washington Post Bends the Knee to Trump.” https://www.thebulwark.com/...
Don Winslow / @donwinslow: Dear @washingtonpost You have done more damage with this failure than you can possibly imagine and you have managed at one of the most critical moments in our history to fail not only your readers but also this country. It's pathetic and nothing can explain or justify it away.
Mark Jacob / @markjacob16: When I was an editor at the Chicago Tribune, I'd tell colleagues that our product wasn't ink on paper or words on an iPhone. It was credibility. That's what we were selling. Credibility. To see the Washington Post flush away its credibility by kowtowing to Trumpism is crushing.
Bill Grueskin / @bgrueskin: Gotta love how the Washpost started endorsing candidates in 1952 LEST ADLAI STEVENSON BECOME PRESIDENT. [image]
@jeffjarvis: Sometime ago, I asked someone who had been at the Post—not who you think—whether the Post could be saved. The answer was immediately and unequivocal No. #BrokenPost
Piers Morgan / @piersmorgan: Journalists enraged because their newspaper wishes to remain impartial are revealing their true colours.. and confirming the shockingly partisan liberal bias in US mainstream media.
Glenn Greenwald / @ggreenwald: After Jeff Bezos bought the WashPost in 2013, the Post twice endorsed Trump's opponents: they endorsed Hillary in 2016 and Biden in 2020. Both times, Bezos ended up OK. Believing he fears Trump's wrath is an expression of liberal elite insanity from discouraging polls.
Glenn Greenwald / @ggreenwald: This is collective paranoia and group think mania. Liberal elites have really convinced themselves that - for the first time ever - they're engaged in an act of courage, taking risks, by opposing Trump. Because if he wins, he'll put them into camps. Look at their madness:👇
Wajahat Ali / @wajahatali: “Don't obey in advance” was the first warning by Timothy Snyder, an authoritarianist expert, on how to fight tyranny. Washington Post bent both knees.
Dr. Ellen Greaves / @ecgreaves: @WajahatAli @IAmPoliticsGirl Ignoring its vaunted history of publishing the Pentagon Papers despite a court's temporary restraining order after Nixon went after the NY Times. Ben Bradlee & Kathryn Graham knew that if they caved to Nixon the reputation of the Post would be irreparably harmed.
Dave Winer / Scripting News: You can't hurt Bezos — It probably does no good to cancel your Washington Post subscription.
Brendan Nyhan / @brendan.j.nyhan@threads.net: Endorsements don't matter. A Harris endorsement by the WP would surprise or persuade virtually no one. But people failing to stand up to Trump due to fear of backlash or worse, especially if he wins and tries to punish his enemies, is corrosive. Resistance to authoritarianism is a coordination game.
Rebekah Gleaves Sanderlin / @sanderlinr@threads.net: No one becomes a journalist to get rich. Because comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable is incompatible with a life spent pursuing wealth. If you're worried about what telling the truth will do to your profits, you have no business going anywhere near a newsroom.
Yonette Joseph / @yonetteajoseph@threads.net: Susan Rice, former national security adviser to a president, said “chicken shit” and Im not even shocked
Patrick LaForge / @palafo@threads.net: It actually would have shown more moral courage for Bezos to write a Trump endorsement himself. Lay it out there, man.
Dan Kennedy / @dankennedy_nu@threads.net: Ironically, I canceled my @washingtonpost subscription months ago when our university began offering it. I doubt I would cancel, especially since the opinion operation was already a dumpster fire. It's the gutlessness of this decision that should worry us all. JournalismThreads
John Schwartz / @jswatz_tx@threads.net: Folks, it's not that a Washington post endorsement would have changed a lot of votes. It's that the newspaper, by taking a stand, shows what it's made of. And not taking a stand, they also showed what they're made of. It's a really sad day.
Aimee Picchi / CBS News: Washington Post declines to endorse a presidential candidate, angering staffers and subscribers
Don Moynihan / @donmoyn.bsky.social: The richest man in the world is bribing voters for Trump and turning his social media empire into a Trump website; the second richest man in the world is censoring his paper from explaining in plain terms why people should not support Trump. [embedded post]
John Robinson / John Robinson on LinkedIn: It never occurred to me that the Washington “Democracy Dies in Darkness” Post would be afraid to endorse a presidential candidate.
Ted Anthony / Associated Press: Washington Post becomes second major US newspaper this week to not endorse a presidential candidate
Elizabeth Spiers / @espiers.bsky.social: And i don't know what Shipley's situation is but I'm surprised he's not walking over this.
Elizabeth Spiers / @espiers.bsky.social: If I had Will Lewis's financial security I'd have said yes boss, published the endorsement anyway, and waited to be fired. There are good reasons to get fired—especially when democracy is at stake and the buck stops with you.
Deb HolleyNC / @debholleync@threads.net: My final reader comment ever at @washingtonpost below. It was posted in response to the ridiculous statement by the owner. My subscription expires at the end of November and will not be renewed. I've now deleted the app from my phone and my iPad.
John Burns / @johnburnsnc@threads.net: Democracy Dies in Darkness, indeed. The @washingtonpost just burned its own reputation to the ground. Utter cowardice.
Oliver Darcy / Status: Democracy Dies in Darkness
New York Times:
Patrick Soon-Shiong says his daughter did not speak for LA Times after she said the decision not to endorse a candidate was due to Harris' stance on Gaza war — The decision by the owner, Patrick Soon-Shiong, to cancel the paper's planned endorsement of Kamala Harris sent shock waves through the organization.
Discussion:
@nikasoonshiong, Fox News, Deadline, Los Angeles Times, L.A. Times Guild, @thecitymaven, @newsjennifer, @newsjennifer, @maxwelltani, @katie_robertson, @kenklippenstein, RedState, KDFX-TV, @_hamilton_matt, @andrewdlewis, @laura_nelson, @katecagle, @david_darmofal, @hummingbird57, @deanobeidallah, @stevepadilla2, @lisaletostak, Daily Mail, @baseballcrank, @jerrydunleavy, @ldeffinbaugh, @katie_robertson, The Times of Israel, @davidfolkenflik, Breitbart, @yashar, New York Post, @Teddro@bbq.snoot.com, @dadback.bsky.social, The Wrap, The Guardian, Australian Financial Review, Spectrum News 1 and Semafor
Discussion:
Nika Soon-Shiong / @nikasoonshiong: There is a lot of controversy and confusion over the LAT's decision not to endorse a presidential candidate. I trust the Editorial Board's judgment. For me, genocide is the line in the sand.
Fox News: LA Times owner's daughter on why paper refused to endorse 2024 candidate: ‘Genocide is the line in the sand’
Glenn Garner / Deadline: Los Angeles Times Owner's Daughter Defends Not Making Presidential Endorsement: “Genocide Is The Line In The Sand”
James Rainey / Los Angeles Times: L.A. Times owner's decision not to endorse in presidential race sparks resignations, questions
Kristina Bui / L.A. Times Guild: Open letter from L.A. Times staff
Alice M. Walton / @thecitymaven: Wow. Thoughts are with the @latimes reporters, writers, editors, photographers and staff who work tirelessly to bring smart, insightful coverage to millions ... and who do not deserve this kind of meddling from Logan and Shiv Roy. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Jennifer Schulze / @newsjennifer: Good grief this is a hot mess. Shortly after the @nytimes blasts out this story, her dad refutes it in the pages of the @latimes. Daughter: It was Gaza Dad: Gaza was not a factor [image]
Jennifer Schulze / @newsjennifer: This marks the 3rd or 4th explanation for pulling the Harris endorsement. “Daughter of L.A. Times Owner Says Endorsement Decision Stemmed From Harris Stance on Gaza War.” Just yesterday, her dad said there was there was no single issue. 1/ [image]
Max Tani / @maxwelltani: Now Patrick Soon-Shiong is saying the decision not to endorse in the 2024 race was NOT tied to the war in Gaza and his daughter's views were “her opinion.” https://www.latimes.com/...
Katie Robertson / @katie_robertson: LAT owner Patrick Soon-Shiong smacks down his daughter's statement on the non-endorsement decision https://x.com/... [image]
Ken Klippenstein / @kenklippenstein: LA Times owner's daughter says decision not to endorse Kamala Harris was made due to her position on the war in Gaza. “Our family made the joint decision not to endorse a Presidential candidate. This was the first and only time I have been involved in the process. As a citizen
Bob Hoge / RedState: Cry Me a River: WaPo Abortion Columnist Sheds Triggered Tears After Mom Cancels Subscription
Liam Reilly / KDFX-TV: Daughter of Los Angeles Times owner says Harris endorsement was blocked over Gaza war support
Matt Hamilton / @_hamilton_matt: Dr. Soon-Shiong said the decision not to endorse a presidential candidate was not tied to the war in Gaza and said his daughter's views were “her opinion.” https://www.latimes.com/...
Andrew D. Lewis / @andrewdlewis: Patrick needs to sell the Paper. “The decision by the owner, Patrick Soon-Shiong, to cancel the paper's planned endorsement of Kamala Harris sent shock waves through the organization. It was not the first time he had gotten involved in newsroom affairs.” https://www.nytimes.com/...
Laura J. Nelson / @laura_nelson: After a campaign event in Las Vegas, California Senate candidate and Rep. @AdamSchiff had this to say about the @latimes' decision not to endorse in the presidential election: [image]
Kate Cagle / @katecagle: I asked Dr. Soon-Shiong three different ways whether Vice President Harris' stance on Israel and funding for the war in Gaza was a factor and he side-stepped the questions. He said “there are pros and there are cons and everybody has a pro and a con.”
David Darmofal / @david_darmofal: The owner of the LA Times seems to have a really screwed-up family. A leftist performative daughter whom he's saying basically is lying as to why he didn't allow an endorsement. What a messed-up family. https://www.nytimes.com/...
@hummingbird57: Wow @latimes - it's only our entire country and democracy at stake - way to opt out when you know TFG would is complicit with Netanyahu and would worsen the cause about which you purport to be concerned. https://www.nytimes.com/...
@deanobeidallah: WOW: Daughter of LA Times owner on why no endorsement for VP Harris. It was in opposition to Biden admin Gaza policy which the daughter said was “financing genocide.” https://www.nytimes.com/...
Steve Padilla / @stevepadilla2: Thank you to all who continue to subscribe to the LA Times, where I have toiled 37 years, despite the recent unpleasantness. Thank you for believing in our mission to report the news and to promote storytelling in Column One. To those who've left, I hope we can regain your trust.
Lisa Letostak / @lisaletostak: This article goes into background on years of tension about the LA Times owner's interference in the newsroom & is well worth reading, especially for journalists. Sounds similar to what happened at The Messenger, where the owner called & emailed staff journalists 1/ [image]
Dan McLaughlin / @baseballcrank: So, the LAT non-endorsement was for the worst reason possible? Daughter of L.A. Times Owner Says Endorsement Decision Stemmed From Harris Stance on Gaza War https://www.nytimes.com/...
Jerry Dunleavy IV / @jerrydunleavy: LA Times owners say it didn't endorse Kamala b/c she isn't anti-Israel enough: “As a citizen of a country openly financing genocide...endorsement was an opportunity to repudiate justifications for widespread targeting of journalists & ongoing war on kids.” https://www.nytimes.com/... [image]
Len Deffinbaugh / @ldeffinbaugh: The L.A. Times faces internal upheaval after owner Patrick Soon-Shiong cancels the endorsement of Kamala Harris, linked to her stance on the Gaza war. This controversy highlights his ongoing influence in newsroom decisions. Explore the full story here: https://www.nytimes.com/...
Katie Robertson / @katie_robertson: Nika Soon-Shiong, daughter of LA Times owner Patrick Soon-Shiong, says non-endorsement decision was over Kamala Harris's support for Israel in its war in Gaza https://www.nytimes.com/... Story by @skarlamangla + @ShawnHubler [image]
The Times of Israel: LA Times owner's daughter says Harris's Israel support is why paper hasn't endorsed her
David Folkenflik / @davidfolkenflik: I'm sure this is true for Nika Soon-Shiong, daughter of LAT owner. She's a progressive activist whose actions have sparked concerns internally. Patrick Soon-Shoing has major biz interests before fed regulators & sought big job in Trump WH. Seems unlikely https://www.nytimes.com/...
Elizabeth Weibel / Breitbart: LA Times Non-Endorsement of Kamala Harris Is Due to Biden-Harris Admin's Stance on Gaza War
Yashar Ali / @yashar: You can disagree with Nika all you want, but this isn't just some last-minute issue for her. She has spent years advocating for the Palestinian cause. And she has done so publicly.
Jon Levine / New York Post: LA Times owner blocked Kamala endorsement to protest Gaza war, daughter reveals
Ted Cannon / @Teddro@bbq.snoot.com: @Mediagazer it absolutely is not, AND if that was the decision the editorial board had come to, they would have published it. The owner should not be staying the hand of the board. Period.
@dadback.bsky.social: Huh, I wonder if Trump has said anything about what he would do about Israel and Gaza if he becomes president, well, no time to look it up I guess we just can't endorse anyone
The Wrap: Patrick Soon-Shiong's Daughter Says Harris Endorsement Axed Over Gaza, LA Times Owner Says That's Not True
Betsy Reed / The Guardian: On political endorsement: a note from our editor
Kate Cagle / Spectrum News 1: Exclusive: LA Times owner Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong responds to backlash over paper's non endorsement for president
RELATED:
Ross A. Lincoln / The Wrap:
Sources and memos: the LA Times editorial board had planned a series, The Case Against Trump, to run this week, until Patrick Soon-Shiong quashed the project — Patrick Soon-Shiong's interference with the paper's editorial freedom has sparked a crisis that includes canceled subscriptions and several high profile resignations
Discussion:
Jeff Jarvis on LinkedIn, Times of San Diego, @StevenSavage@sfba.social, @jamellebouie.net, American Thinker, @kingkaufman@sfba.social, @stopthatgirl7@famichiki.jp, @mvario@mastodon.social, @theferocity.bsky.social, @bruno_j_navarro …, @NewsDesk@flipboard.social, @waltisfrozen@threads.net, SFist, Instapundit and freebeacon.com
Discussion:
Jeff Jarvis / Jeff Jarvis on LinkedIn: Karen Tumulty: “Our current owner has emblazoned Democracy Dies in Darkness on ... The Post. With this decision, those words now stand as an indictment of ourselves.” …
StevenSavage / @StevenSavage@sfba.social: Just saying folks at the LA Times, you can leak “why Trump is unfit” series and become famous and get even MORE attention. https://www.thewrap.com/...
Jamelle / @jamellebouie.net: this was 100% a decision made to curry favor with trump www.thewrap.com/la-times-cas...
Rajan Laad / American Thinker: Outrage among L.A. Times editorial board members and subscribers after owner blocks Kamala Harris endorsement
King Kaufman / @kingkaufman@sfba.social: You cannot in good conscience work for the LA Times after this. — https://www.thewrap.com/...
@stopthatgirl7@famichiki.jp: The greed of the billionaire class is going to destroy us. — LA Times Planned ‘Case Against Trump’ Series Alongside Kamala Harris Endorsement Before Owner Quashed It | Exclusive — : https://www.thewrap.com/...
@mvario@mastodon.social: LA Times Planned ‘Case Against Trump’ Series Alongside Kamala Harris Endorsement Before Owner Quashed It - TheWrap — https://www.thewrap.com/... #SoonShiongOligarch #TaxTheRich #NoBillionaires #WealthTax #SaveDemocracyVoteBlue #StopFascism #StopProject2025 — [image]
Saeed Jones / @theferocity.bsky.social: Wait, waaaaaait, the owner of the LA Times is also from South Africa???? — *looks directly at camera*
Bruno J. Navarro / @bruno_j_navarro@mastodon.social: Alongside its endorsement of Kamala Harris, the Los Angeles Times editorial board had also planned a multi-part series against Donald Trump before the whole thing was quashed by owner Patrick Soon-Shiong, TheWrap has learned. — https://www.thewrap.com/...
@NewsDesk@flipboard.social: When the LA Times' owner, Patrick Soon-Shiong, killed its endorsement of Kamala Harris, he also quashed a multi-part series, tentatively called “The Case Against Trump,” @TheWrap says. So far, three staffers — editorial writer Karin Klein, Pulitzer Prize-winner Robert Green and editorials editor Mariel Garza have quit over the lack of endorsement, with Klein calling Soon-Shiong a “chickensh**.” …
Greg Saunders / @waltisfrozen@threads.net: Holy shit. The LA Times didn't just squash a Kamala Harris endorsement. They buried an entire series of articles about Donald Trump. — “According to internal memos viewed by TheWrap, the series, tentatively called ‘The Case Against Trump,’ would have ran throughout this week. …
Jay Barmann / SFist: What Happens When Billionaires Own the Media: Two Major US Newspapers Decline to Endorse Harris Over a Fascist
Amanda Mull / Bloomberg:
A look at the revival of print magazines as luxury products, albeit not standalone businesses, that are effective for targeting richer, younger audiences — More publishers are discovering that magazines are now a luxury good. — I'd love to tell you that reports of print media's death …
Discussion:
Aidan McLaughlin / @aidnmclaughlin: Tyler Brule launched Monocle in 2007, when everyone declared print dead. He realized that people would pay for a high quality, good looking, info-packed magazine the same way they'd pay for a coffee table book or a candle. He was prescient!
Conor Sen / @conorsen: We're going to get to the point where words-based media (as opposed to pictures, video, maybe audio) is going to mostly be for rich and college-educated people.
Simon Owens / @simondowens@threads.net: Print isn't necessarily making a comeback, but it's clear that the industry is starting to reinvest in the medium as a way to strengthen their subscription offerings and brand penetration. They also provide a great opportunity to upsell advertisers who still value full-page, glossy ads. …
Reuters:
Reuters restored to its website an investigation into India-based hack-for-hire company Appin, after a New Delhi court lifted a takedown order it issued in 2023 — Reuters News has restored to its website an investigation into mercenary hacking after a New Delhi court lifted a takedown order it issued last year.
Discussion:
Aditya Kalra / @adityakalra: Reuters exposé of hack-for-hire world is back online after Indian court ruling https://www.reuters.com/... On Oct. 3, the court vacated the injunction, saying “the plaintiff has not been able to show any prima facie case to make interference in the process of journalism.”
Financial Times:
Analysis: X is on track to fall well short of its goal of $100M in 2024 political ad revenue, raising just $15M to date, mainly from GOP and Trump campaigns — Social media platform has raised a fraction of $100mn target and mainly from Trump and Republicans
Discussion:
Nicholas Grossman / @nicholasgrossman.bsky.social: Elon Musk spends hundreds of millions trying to elect Trump. — “X” gets $15m in political ad purchases, predominantly from campaigns Musk is supporting, falling way short of the $100m in ad spending it hoped for. — A dual loser. But he'd net a lot more if the US government is corrupted in his favor. …
@majuuj.bsky.social: To be fair, which other party/candidate would want to advertise next to neonazis?
Assistant Standards Editor, NY — 
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Editor, DC — 
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Editor - Founder Brew, NY — 
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Audience Strategist, CO — 
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Breaking News Reporter, Remote — 
Digital Editor, OH — 
Senior Political Reporter, ME — 
Head of Multimedia, Sydney — 
Editorial & Opinion Page Editor, NV — 
Deputy Editor, HI — 
Principal Writer - Investigative & Trust — 
Culture & Travel Reporter, NY — 
Wealth & Philanthropy Reporter, TX — 
