More than 250,000 Washington Post readers cancel subscriptions in revolt over non-endorsement
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CNN
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More than 250,000 Washington Post readers have canceled their subscriptions since the newspaper announced last week it would not make an endorsement in the presidential race, leading to a "huge spike" in cancelations, the Post reported late Tuesday.
The endorsement decision, first announced on Friday by Post publisher Will Lewis, resulted in the newspaper losing roughly 10% of its digital subscribers by Tuesday evening, the paper reported, citing documents and two people familiar with the figures. The number did not take into account any new subscribers the Post may have added since Friday or any subscribers who have since re-subscribed, the paper reported.
NPR first reported the figure. A spokesperson for the Post did not comment on the report.
In the wake of Lewis' announcement that the Post would break with decades-long tradition and not endorse in the race, coming less than two weeks before Election Day, readers immediately began to revolt over the move. The Post reported it began seeing a surge in cancelations within hours of the announcement.
Readers and former Post staffers, including former executive editor Marty Baron, have labeled the decision as "craven" and "cowardly," seeing the move as an attempt by billionaire Post owner Jeff Bezos as an attempt to pre-emptively bend the knee to a possible second Trump administration. A person with knowledge of the matter told CNN that an endorsement of Harris had been drafted by the Post's editorial board members before it was quashed by Bezos.
Jeff Bezos attends "The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power" World Premiere in Leicester Square on August 30, 2022 in London, England.
Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images
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Jeff Bezos defends Washington Post non-endorsement after subscribers flee and staffers resign
As the Post has hemorrhaged subscribers, and has seen three members of its editorial board resign, Bezos has sought to calm the response, publishing a rare op-ed on Monday in defense of his decision, arguing that "presidential endorsements do nothing to tip the scales of an election."
Bezos also acknowledged the "appearance of conflict," admitting that his ownership of the e-commerce giant Amazon and space exploration firm Blue Origin has been a "complexifier for the Post."
"While I do not and will not push my personal interest, I will also not allow this paper to stay on autopilot and fade into irrelevance, overtaken by unresearched podcasts and social media barbs, not without a fight. It's too important," he wrote. "The stakes are too high."
