More than 75,000 Washington Post subscribers have canceled subscriptions since owner Jeff Bezos overhauled its opinion sections to an explicitly libertarian line - sparking criticism he is altering the paper to appease President Trump. MORE/ www.npr.org/2025/02/28/n... - ThreadSky

davidfolkenflik.bsky.social • 7 hours ago

More than 75,000 Washington Post subscribers have canceled subscriptions since owner Jeff Bezos overhauled its opinion sections to an explicitly libertarian line - sparking criticism he is altering the paper to appease President Trump.
MORE/

https://www.npr.org/2025/02/28/nx-s1-5312819/washington-post-bezos-subscriptions-cancellations

Comments

veratrine.bsky.social•7 hours ago

I cancelled ours—I took Bezos’ statement about Harris as an honest position about journalistic neutrality. His reversal made me angrier than I’ve been in a long time—and frightened; it’s terrifying to see the billionaires lining up together. Give your money to the good guys, if you have a choice.

mehaas50.bsky.social•7 hours ago

He doesn't care. It's not about the money.

mehaas50.bsky.social•7 hours ago

not that I disagree everyone should cancel the subscriptions but what took you so long.

olderbutlearning.bsky.social•7 hours ago

Good for them!

flowermslle.bsky.social•4 hours ago

75k is mice nuts

jmckennajd.bsky.social•7 hours ago

That’s a good start

carly911.bsky.social•6 hours ago

Keep it going!

kiminpdx.bsky.social•7 hours ago

What about the number of cancelled/closed Amazon accounts? Or the divestment of Amazon stock? Democracy dies when you subscribe to Amazon prime ( or own Amazon stock)

rhumabord.bsky.social•3 hours ago

Libertarian opinion, free speech, but censure at the maximum. Say it it's facism.

ratherreadabook.bsky.social•7 hours ago

You love to see it. Any self-respecting reporter who can get out, should get out. The Post has become a shell of its former self, and always will be with Bezos as the owner.

jrkrell.bsky.social•1 hour ago

I guess he didn't realize MAGAs don't read, they just get brainwashed by Fox Fake News.

texaskrusty.bsky.social•7 hours ago

And he made more money this last 5 minutes off of interest than he could lose if everyone cancelled their subscription.

We aren’t getting out of this situation until the billionaires are dealt with.

philmoon.bsky.social•2 hours ago

Bankrupt the oligarchs and kick them out of USA.

jackalheadedwoman.bsky.social•32 minutes ago

Any new subscribers, though? Genuinely curious.

paulblamire.bsky.social•7 hours ago

But Musk has proven that if you have enough money, it doesn't matter how your company does financially if it means you can continue to use it to spread your version of the truth, elevated above all others.

lpeterp.bsky.social•7 hours ago

I’m one who has fled, and it’s not “libertarian” thought Bezos is spearheading; it’s MAGA nonsense.

reallymicki.bsky.social•7 hours ago

Sparking criticism????😂😂😂🤣🤣?? Sparking???? God damn this country is slow.

cleo2056.bsky.social•6 hours ago

Good

moseisleybartender.bsky.social•7 hours ago

Amazon is the lead sponsor of the rebuilt basketball/hockey arena in Seattle. Climate Pledge Arena to signify a pledge that it be climate neutral and that Amazon has that as a company goal.

Soon the be renamed Ayn Rand Arena, serving raw milk at all concession stands.

mark-darson.bsky.social•7 hours ago

I and basically everyone I know cancelled when Jeff pulled the Harris Endorsement.

jamesbkane.bsky.social•6 hours ago

Thanks. I know a few who finally cancelled. I quit in 09/2024.

megabeth18.bsky.social•7 hours ago

Cancel Amazon & Whole Foods.

Wapo is a loss leader for him.

davidfolkenflik.bsky.social•7 hours ago

Those cancellations would reflect record levels - were it not for the 300K who canceled in days immediately after Bezos' decision to kill a planned endorsement of Kamala Harris in Oct.

Opinions editor David Shipley vainly argued against both moves and is stepping down. /MORE

powerfulkatrinka.bsky.social•5 hours ago

I canceled mine, but since I paid the annual rate I still have it until the end of August. I will post horrible and idiotic stuff Bezos et al. do for it others since I can't get rid of it and the thriftiness my mother taught me is strong.

davidfolkenflik.bsky.social•7 hours ago

The Post has covered Trump intensely and attracted many new subscribers, many at deeply discounted rates.

But it's down a couple hundred thousand subscribers from where it would have been without Bezos's decisions.

My story for NPR:
https://www.npr.org/2025/02/28/nx-s1-5312819/washington-post-bezos-subscriptions-cancellations

jeannettesmyth.bsky.social•2 hours ago

So it's now just another Blue Origins/silicone fiancêe zombie plaything for a billionaire who is showing that he's not really smart enough for the big east coast leagues.
https://youtu.be/bEOl38y8Nj8?si=QVBLLJojA6RVnNRs

jemmer.bsky.social•17 minutes ago

Cancelled Amazon Prime today since I don’t subscribe to WaPo. I highly recommend it!

lizamezzo.bsky.social•7 hours ago

I'm so grateful for your reporting on this, David. I grew up in DC reading the Post, with family members who worked there. What's happening now is a moral outrage and a loss to journalism, but for me it's also a personal heartbreak.

jeannettesmyth.bsky.social•2 hours ago

Sixty-year subscriber and former employee. We're feeling like our life's work has disappeared.

zec-e.bsky.social•29 minutes ago

Your words remain & your personal stand is clear. May you find a venue that recognizes your value & supports you!

jeannettesmyth.bsky.social•6 minutes ago

P.S. Thank you.

jeannettesmyth.bsky.social•7 minutes ago

I'm liking TikTok.

chrisriddle.bsky.social•7 hours ago

I also grew up reading the Post, and have continued to do so even after moving to Ohio 35 years ago. It surprised me how emotional I felt after cancelling my subscription, but ffs, Bezos has been a horrible steward.

josie0324.bsky.social•24 minutes ago

I’ve had a subscription for years and cancelled it this week.

conbnewman.bsky.social•6 hours ago

We’re close to canceling our subscription. I want to support the news side, and I don’t think Bezos cares whether people subscribe or not; he may even be intentionally sabotaging the paper. So, we’ll hang in for now.

ishuwa549.bsky.social•12 minutes ago

Fuck bozo

msnberd.bsky.social•7 hours ago

Sadly, we are witnessing the death of a once great paragon of investigative journalism.

devonheinen.bsky.social•7 hours ago

No, we're not! WaPo has done and continues to do amazing, important journalism. You seem to be conflating the newsroom with the opinion-editorial department. They are church-and-state separate, with separate leadership, as is the case at major news outlets here in the US.

velourazure.bsky.social•18 minutes ago

That's true today and I applaud your important journalism. But anyone who thinks Bezos won't kowtow to Trump's demand for "state media" in exchange for government contracts and tax breaks is delusional. It's only a matter of time. Democracy is dying right out in the open.

bubblebaathist.bsky.social•7 hours ago

oh, so the newsroom doesn't belong to Bezos?

devonheinen.bsky.social•7 hours ago

It does belong to him, but the newsroom's top editor, Matt Murray, has the job of being the firewall to protect the newsroom's independence.

thewanderingjew.bsky.social•7 hours ago

dude what happened to his predecessor in that job?

libraryyarngirl.bsky.social•4 hours ago

I held off cancelling as long as I could because I recognize the hard work many excellent reporters do at the Post. I will really miss having local coverage as part of reading diet. And I enjoy their Food writers. But this week was just too much

devonheinen.bsky.social•3 hours ago

Sorry you feel that way. Bezos hasn't touched the newsroom. So, you would still get all that great journalism that you loved.

papastorp.bsky.social•3 hours ago

'Sorry you feel that way'...such a smug line

msnberd.bsky.social•7 hours ago

Do you believe the paper and its great investigative history can remain financially viable after losing so many subscribers? I would like to think so, but WaPo had financial issues before this.

devonheinen.bsky.social•7 hours ago

It will be fine, in the long run. It'll continue do amazing work.

msnberd.bsky.social•6 hours ago

I hope you are correct. I am concerned about what the current owner will do.

thewanderingjew.bsky.social•7 hours ago

I agree that they are very likely church-and-state separate, yes.

devonheinen.bsky.social•7 hours ago

Not "very likely." They are.

tokillamockingbird.bsky.social•7 hours ago

I hope they’re separate. They haven’t publicly said they are and will remain so. That silence is suspect

devonheinen.bsky.social•7 hours ago

All major news outlets in the US are separate. Plus, people in the newsroom at WaPo have said here publicly on Bluesky that things are separate and that the newsroom hasn't been impacted.

There hasn't been silence -- at all. Please, don't be conspiratorial.

tokillamockingbird.bsky.social•7 hours ago

I’m not being conspiratorial. Major outlets should be separate but a lot is up in the air recently. Given the odd public statement by the owner (was WaPo not always in favor of individual liberty before? Then why declare it?) asking for a clear owner statement of news independence isn’t much

devonheinen.bsky.social•7 hours ago

The top editor in the newsroom at all major news outlets in the US have a principal job of being the firewall that protects the newsroom from interaction with the outlet's ownership.

WaPo's newsroom has been fine and will be fine going forward.

wmf04.bsky.social•2 hours ago

His wife fits right in with the women at Mar-A-Lago she's made of plastic

davidzazove.bsky.social•4 hours ago

It’s shocking that ANYBODY would continue to read this rag.

pstnyc.bsky.social•5 hours ago

Make that at least 75,001. I just canceled my Washington Post subscription. Jeff Bezos and Will Lewis are destroying the newspaper.

pstnyc.bsky.social•5 hours ago

I admire and respect the work of many Washington Post journos, like @pbump.com, but due to Jeff Bezos turning the Opinion section into a content farm for the Tr*mp admin, I have finally had too much. Canceled my subscription, though it just renewed Feb 15. #CravenPandering #Weak

Comments

Posting Rules

Reply