Washington Post report: Subscriber loss after non-endorsement reaches a quarter million

The Washington Post has mislaid astatine slightest a 4th cardinal subscribers since announcing past Friday it would not endorse a campaigner successful nan statesmanlike race

The Washington Post has mislaid astatine slightest 250,000 subscribers since announcing past Friday that it would not endorse a campaigner for president — astir 10 percent of its integer following, nan newspaper reported Wednesday.

The Post would not officially corroborate that figure, saying it was a backstage company, but it was reported successful a communicative successful nan newspaper that cited documents and 2 unnamed sources who were acquainted pinch nan figures. Another non-endorsement past week has caused thousands of Los Angeles Times readers to cancel subscriptions, though not astir astatine nan Post's level.

One publicity historian, Jon Marshall astatine Northwestern University, said he had a difficult clip recalling a comparable response, though a boycott of nan Arkansas Gazette erstwhile it supported nan integration of Little Rock schools successful 1957 costs that newspaper much than $20 cardinal successful today's dollars.

The Post's owner, Jeff Bezos, said statesmanlike endorsements create a cognition of bias astatine nan newspaper while having small existent power connected really readers vote. His said his only regret was making nan determination known erstwhile passions are heated truthful adjacent to Election Day; nan paper's editorial unit had reportedly prepared an endorsement of Democrat Kamala Harris.

“A batch of group would person forgotten astir nan Harris endorsement slated to tally successful nan newspaper,” nan Post's media critic, Erik Wemple, wrote. “Few will hide astir nan determination not to people it.”

The Post's executive editor, Matt Murray, told labor successful a unit gathering that location were “several affirmative days” of caller subscribers signing up, though he didn't mention immoderate numbers, nan newspaper reported.

Some of nan Post's angry integer readers person besides already paid for a year's access, and will clasp that until their subscriptions expire.

“After different period aliases so, nan predetermination will person ended, and location whitethorn beryllium group who opportunity that ‘I request nan Post much than they request me’ and travel back," said Rick Edmonds, media business expert astatine nan Poynter Institute.

The Post besides saw a large summation successful subscribers during Donald Trump's presidency from group attracted to nan newspaper's fierce coverage, raising nan anticipation of a repetition if nan man that nan newspaper wasn't prepared to endorse is returned to office.

In nan meantime, Edmonds said, “it's very bad.” After losing readers during nan Biden administration, nan Post had reportedly seen affirmative signs of maturation — until this week.

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David Bauder writes astir media for nan AP. Follow him astatine http://x.com/dbauder.