The Washington Post kills off its "Democracy Dies In Darkness" slogan
The Washington Post used to think democracy dies in darkness, but it apparently has no need for that silly old slogan anymore. Let’s not think too hard about the fact that it was originally adopted in 2017 to underscore the paper’s position on Donald Trump’s first term, and now, as he threatens the fabric of democracy once more, it’s going away. That’s a little too much to bear. Instead, let’s focus on the fact that the paper’s new slogan is “Riveting Storytelling for All of America,” which specifically includes “conservatives” and anyone seeking out “an A.I.-fueled platform for news,” according to an internal WaPo presentation, per The New York Times . Yeah, it’s hard to find much of a positive swing on this one.
This shift has unfortunately been a long time coming. The paper is owned by future inauguration attendee Jeff Bezos, who refused to endorse Kamala Harris in October—a decision that led to over 200,000 cancellations, around 8% of the paper’s subscriber base ( per NPR ). Still, the details are pretty stomach-churning—enough to inspire a letter to Bezos signed by over 400 employees questioning “the integrity of this institution.”
