The Washington Post has faced another major wave of subscription cancellations following owner Jeff Bezos' announcement of sweeping changes to the newspaper's opinion section. Over 75,000 digital subscribers have dropped their subscriptions since Wednesday when Bezos revealed plans to reshape the opinion pages around libertarian priorities while excluding opposing viewpoints.
The latest exodus adds to mounting subscriber losses at the Post. Since October, when Bezos blocked a planned endorsement of Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, more than 300,000 subscribers - representing over 12% of digital subscribers - have cancelled. While the Post has attracted 400,000 new subscribers through aggressive discount campaigns, internal sources indicate the paper would have seen substantial subscriber growth without Bezos' recent decisions.
The announcement prompted immediate backlash, including the resignation of Opinions Editor David Shipley. Former Executive Editor Marty Baron called the move "craven" and suggested Bezos was "basically fearful" of President Trump.
In a memo posted on X (formerly Twitter), Bezos outlined his new vision focusing on "personal liberties and free markets," stating that opposing views would be "left to be published by others." This marks a stark departure from the Post's previous editorial stance, which in 2020 warned that "a second Trump term might injure the democratic experiment beyond recovery."
The changes come amid Bezos' increasingly warm relationship with Trump. After giving $1 million to Trump's inauguration fund, Bezos attended the swearing-in ceremony and recently dined with the president. Some staff members have questioned these moves, given Bezos' business interests through Amazon and Blue Origin, which hold billions in federal contracts.
Executive Editor Matt Murray has attempted to reassure the newsroom that these changes won't affect news coverage, which remains separate from the opinion section. However, the shifts have already led to notable departures, including Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Ann Telnaes, whose departure triggered another wave of cancellations earlier this month.
Competitors have seized on the turmoil, with The Guardian highlighting its independence from billionaire ownership and The New York Times reinforcing its commitment to diverse viewpoints in opinion coverage.
The Washington Post Company has declined to comment on the subscription figures or criticism, citing its status as a privately held company.