Editorial: I Cancelled My Subscription to the Washington Post
By Larry Janezich
Posted October 25, 2024
I’ve cancelled my subscription to the Washington Post after decades of daily dependence on it as one of my primary sources of information because Post owner Jeff Bezos killed a proposed editorial endorsing Vice President Harris.
In this action, I join many others and I, like they must, feel deep regret and sympathy for those whose livelihoods will be affected – not the least of whom is my carrier who almost unfailingly delivers the paper every day before 7 am when I leave for coffee.
I hope this cancellation will be temporary and that the paper’s owner will stop interfering with the editorial content of the publication. As long as he does, how can I or anyone trust the information the newspaper brings. Democracy Dies in Darkness, indeed.
CAPITOL HILL CORNER 
Me too. Cowards.
Julie Domenick 370 Sugar Mill Drive Osprey FL 34229 * *202-669-5178
Although the Post is not the paper it once was, it’s still head and shoulders above so mant other daily papers. Sadly, diminished content and owner meddling are facts of life in print journalism. And the Post’s A Section, despite virtually no advertising, still offers a extensive coverage of a number of important stories. If you can find that coverage in any other daily, let us know about it.
good idea
Like you Larry, I have (after 42 years) cancelled….a heartbreaking decision. But the only way to let The Post (ie Bezos) know the outrage its cowardly behaviour has triggered. Hopefully it will cause such a backlash (among staff as well as readers) that it will see the error of its way. Of all elections to fail to endorse a candidate this is not the one. Also, I echo your thoughts re the staff who will be reeling over the failure to kick Trump to the curb and the carriers…..
Just canceled mine!
Thank you Larry. I followed your lead and cancelled my subscription too. I’m considering cancelling my Amazon account too. Bezos is a disgusting coward.
I was at first distressed to hear that the Washington Post and LA Times will not endorse a presidential candidate this election.
But then I thought . . .
The Post, by reporting something like the facts, has been overwhelmingly critical of Trump. Most Post readers are not going to vote for him. The Post endorsement probably would not make much, if any, difference in anybody’s vote.
The political atmosphere now is so angrily polarized that a Post endorsement of Kamala Harris would simply confirm and intensify the opinion of many that the Post is a biased news source.
The Post is financially struggling and I value its survival. Antagonizing one side or the other unnecessarily would cost them a little bit of circulation. Even not endorsing seems to cost them circulation. I think they may have made a sound political and business decision.
I want the Post to continue. I need it and value it. Angrily insisting that it make a partisan gesture to retain my subscription is not a tantrum I need to throw this year.
I agree Neil. But, I wish The Post had done more about local elections to which they give spotty coverage. I valued their endorsements and related assessments. The so-called Metro section has turned into the Education, Religion, house ad, paid death notice, obscure opera singer obit section. I do read the death notices.
I don’t like it, but I ain’t unsubscribing, either.
thanks for this information, I wondered why my letter to the editor was never published due to my comments concerning the corporations tax breaks that Trump signed into law during his term in office. G. Sullivan
Done here as well… debating cancelling — gasp — amazon too??! Goodbye free shipping? goodbye great deals? Goodbye Movies? Goodbye Alexa? Goodbye Kindle Unlimited?…
After almost 42 years of waking up to the print version of Katharine Graham’s WP I have cancelled our subscription today. It was a sad decision that should not have been forced on us because of a misguided decision on the part of billionaire newspaper hobbyist with delusions of grandeur and an obsession with yachts and the approval of fascists.
Larry. Wow! I trust your judgment. I am traveling this week and I’m a bit in a self imposed news bubble and so distressed to hear this! You’re a man of impeachable values, and I am so distressed to hear this all!
Bezos loses first game in major leagues: no runs, no hits , one game losing error.
Me too…Politico and Politico Europe plus Punchbowl and 1440 will be my new main sources…
A journalist myself, I was surprised and disappointed as well. But I don’t think canceling is productive–few other media outlets still devote immense resources to do the type of important reporting and investigations the Post continues to do. We will need the Post even more over the next 4 years. This is a family member who had made a really stupid decision but who has otherwise led a good life–you don’t disown them on strike one.
There is a part of me that thinks newspapers (all of them) should get out of the business of endorsing candidates at all levels.
But that doesn’t seem to be what the Post is doing and that makes what they did do look all the worse. This is cowardly on Bezos’s part because I don’t think he/they have the skills needed to convince people this was anything, but Bezos being scared of trump. And him helicoptering in and interfering in this for a personal benefit is even more telling.
Democracy dies in darkness right?
By not endorsing, wasn’t he trying not to not to interfere?
i’m disgusted as well. A few hundred cancellations, most of which will be renewed within a year or sooner, won’t affect anything.
I cancelled, too. Bezos’ cowardice is disgusting. If you don’t have the balls to own a newspaper, don’t buy one.
The paper is just unburdening itself of what has been.