[potro]

I wonder if this is also a indication how much people actually value their WP (and by extension other major newspapers) subscription? And how much paying for subscription is kind of charity for them (support of independent journalism, etc.)?

[jansan]

So you think they pay for a subscription to get independent journalism, but cancel that subscription if the independent newspaper does not endorse their candidate? That's funny, don't you think?

[anamexis]

The point isn't that they didn't endorse a particular candidate, it's that this decision was made in a way that was completely antithetical to independent journalism.

[slau]

They cancel their subscription when the newspaper makes it clear they are no longer independent.

The Post won a Pulitzer for their coverage of Jan 6. The fact they were prevented from endorsing a candidate means Bezos didn’t want them to endorse Harris.

[timeon]

Anything can be funny without effort of thinking. It is funny for you, because you are skipping really short context: endorsement was already written. Owner of the newspaper dictating what can't be published means that it is not independent work is it?

[cloverich]

Notably they can still endorse other candidates, and the specific candidate they were barred from to (not) endorsing has immense influence on the businesses run by the owner, and the owner was directly meeting with him. It seems like an obvious quid pro quo from Bezos to Trump, hence the outcry.

[dialup_sounds]

The key detail here is that the endorsement was quashed by the billionaire owner of the paper and not the editorial board. That undermines any sense of independence that people might have felt they were paying for.

[Analemma_]

The editor wanted the endorsement and got spiked by the billionaire owner after said owner's closed-door meeting with the other candidate. That's supposed to be journalistic independence?

[bediger4000]

Jeff Bezos intervened directly in what was promised to be an independent editorial process. That quite directly breaks the trust in both editorials and d news.

For me, it explained WaPo's very careful treatment of Trump's age, versus the aggressive treatment of Biden's age. So I cancelled. I can't trust editorial choice or news editing and framing from a media source where The Owner just busts in and changes things.

[chucke1992]

nobody wants independent journalism. never wanted. people want something that aligns with their point of view.

that's why streamers, podcasters and subgroups are so successful - you find like-minded folks there that agree with you. And that's why you often have forums and discord groups that literally ban people left and right.

It has always been the case.

[ajdude]

This is exactly how I think of my 404media subscription.

[vasco]

This is a paper owned by a billionaire. What ludicrous proposition that this is about independent journalism!