"This is cowardice, a moment of darkness that will leave democracy as a casualty."

~ Marty Baron, former executive editor of Washingon Post quoted by D. Earl Stephens

Stephens adds,

"When a newspaper with the logo 'Democracy Dies in Darkness' fails to endorse the candidate that stands up for that Democracy, they are not being accurate or credible.

They in fact are completely worthless.

Dead."

#Trump #fascism #WashingtonPost
/2

dearlstephens.substack.com/p/b…

BREAKING: The Washington Post Has Died

Its stunning refusal to endorse Kamala Harris is the end of the venerable newspaper ...

^{D. Earl Stephens ✍️ (Enough Already)}

"The editor of the editorial page had already drafted the paper’s endorsement of Kamala Harris when publisher Will Lewis—who is a new hire, hailing from the Rupert Murdoch journalism tree—quashed it and then released a CYA statement about how the paper was 'returning to its roots' of not endorsing candidates. The Post itself reported that the decision was made by the paper’s owner, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos."

#Trump #fascism #WashingtonPost #JeffBezos #Murdoch
/3

thebulwark.com/p/bezos-kills-w…

The Guardrails Are Already Crumpling

Jeff Bezos’s decision to pull a Washington Post endorsement of Harris is foreboding. But not necessarily for the reasons you think.

^{Jonathan V. Last (The Bulwark)}

"Our corporate media, run by billionaires, are abdicating their duty and fidelity to democracy by proactively bending the knee to Trump and his dictatorial ambitions. The people must resist."

~ Wajahat Ali

#Trump #fascism #WashingtonPost #JeffBezos #RupertMurdoch
/4

thelefthook.substack.com/p/dem…

Democracy Dies For Billionaires

^{THE LEFT HOOK with Wajahat Ali (The Left Hook with Wajahat Ali)}

"Will Lewis should be ashamed, if shame is an emotion he is capable of feeling. What an empty shell of a leader. What an embarrassing decline for a once-venerated news organization.

This decision won’t impact the outcome of the election in eleven days. But it will have a lasting impact on how people think of the Washington Post."

~ Dave Karpf

#Trump #fascism #WashingtonPost #JeffBezos #RupertMurdoch #WillLewis
/5

davekarpf.substack.com/p/a-sug…

A suggestion for the Washington Post's new motto: "Obey in Advance"

A study in willful incompetence

^{Dave Karpf (The Future, Now and Then)}

"As the 2024 election looms, media self-censorship in response to Trump’s potential return threatens the democratic role of journalism. …

In times like these, it's crucial for media organizations to remember their responsibility to the public. Anticipatory obedience may offer short-term safety, but it poses long-term risks to the very fabric of democracy."

~ Parker Molloy

#Trump #fascism #WashingtonPost #JeffBezos #RupertMurdoch #WillLewis
/6

readtpa.com/p/playing-it-safe-…

Playing It Safe Is Risking Democracy: Media’s Silent Endorsement of Authoritarianism

^{Parker Molloy (The Present Age)}

The aren't obeying in advance.

They want Trump to win.

#Trump #fascism #WashingtonPost #JeffBezos #RupertMurdoch #WillLewis #LosAngelesTimes #media
/7

"One week before the mortals finish voting and might elect an authoritarian, one whose former chief of staff calls him a fascist, the Washington Post has decided that silence is the best way to guide its readers.

Silence, after all, will not offend the authoritarian should he win."

~ Benjamin Wittes

#Trump #fascism #WashingtonPost #JeffBezos #RupertMurdoch #WillLewis
/8

thebulwark.com/p/the-washingto…

The Washington Post Bends the Knee to Trump

Billionaires can’t be trusted to maintain the institutions of democracy.

^{Benjamin Wittes (The Bulwark)}

"Their billionaire owners [of Los Angeles Times and Washington Post] are Trump enablers. ...

The only credible explanation I can think of is that the Post’s billionaire owner, Jeff Bezos, doesn’t want to raise the ire of Donald Trump, should Trump become president — especially now that Trump has declared his intention to punish his opponents."

~ Robert Reich

#Trump #fascism #WashingtonPost #JeffBezos
/9

robertreich.substack.com/p/cow…

Cowardice and intimidation at The Washington Post and L.A. Times

Their billionaire owners are Trump enablers

^{Robert Reich}

"Bezos’s other businesses have many federal government contracts, and his largest — Amazon — is the current target of a federal antitrust suit.

Assuming this is the explanation, it stinks. It undermines the credibility of one of our leading newspapers."

#Trump #fascism #WashingtonPost #JeffBezos
/10

"We are come to a juncture in America where, as in the first Gilded Age, enormous wealth is lodged in a very few hands — hands that are now either actively supporting Trump (such as Elon Musk) or afraid to come out against him for fear he’ll wreak vengeance on them if they do."

#Trump #fascism #WashingtonPost #JeffBezos
/11

"For decades, the business lobby fundamentally moderated the nation’s immigration debate. But in the age of Trump, fearful of advocating publicly on this issue, they’ve largely prioritized other things like corporate tax cuts and deregulation."

~ Eli Hager

#Trump #fascism #WashingtonPost #JeffBezos #EconomicElites #SuperRich #immigration #TaxCuts #deregulation
/12

propublica.org/article/busines…

The Business Lobby Once Fought for Immigration Reform. What Happened?

^ProPublica

"It is not hard to guess why Bezos and Soon-Shiong made these decisions. Both are billionaires whose other businesses could be hurt by people who conflate their papers’ editorials with the two men’s own opinions. And both are hedging against the chance of Donald Trump winning the election, since he will surely turn his vengeance on those who opposed him."

~ Judd Legum

#Trump #fascism #WashingtonPost #JeffBezos #EconomicElites #SuperRich #immigration #TaxCuts
/13

wonkette.com/p/thanks-for-all-…

Thanks For All These New Wonkette Subscribers, Jeff Bezos Of The Washington Post!

And LA Times, shame on you too!

^{Gary Legum (Wonkette)}

"This is a dark day in American journalism. Both papers [Los Angeles Times and Washington Post] have made clear their disdain and disrespect for Donald Trump and published numerous columns on their editorial pages calling him unfit to serve. The refusal of the Washington Post and LA Times to publish editorials endorsing Kamala Harris at this point is nothing but chickenshit."

~ Lucian K. Truscott

#Trump #fascism #WashingtonPost #LosAngelesTimes #media
/14

luciantruscott.substack.com/p/…

The Washington Post and LA Times have already told us what they think about Donald Trump.

This is a dark day for American Journalism.

^{Lucian K. Truscott IV (Lucian Truscott Newsletter)}