The Washington Post was on course to lose at least $77 million before the boycott that came after the outlet’s decision to not endorse Vice President Kamala Harris.
Internal sources have revealed the newspaper was already tracking towards massive losses even before 250,000 furious digital readers hit the ‘unsubscribe’ button amid protests against a last-minute decision to not endorse Harris.
A deputy managing editor exposed the jaw-dropping $77 million projected loss during a recent staff meeting, as reported by New York Magazine’s Intelligencer.
Staffers have said that anger and fear is running rampant across the office.
‘Mind-blowing,’ one staffer told the outlet. ‘The level of anger is through the roof, and fear is also through the roof. There’s huge concern that Bezos is going to pull the plug.’
Another staffer told the outlet: ‘The top stories that do well convert 200 readers to subscribers.’
‘You’re doing your best work, hoping you convert 200 subscribers. And we lost 250,000 through naivete and poor decision-making.’
Internal sources reveal the newspaper was already tracking towards massive losses even before 250,000 furious digital subscribers hit the ‘unsubscribe’ button
A deputy managing editor exposed the jaw-dropping $77 million projected loss during a recent staff meeting, as reported by New York Magazine’s Intelligencer
The Post also lost $77 million last year, publisher Will Lewis said in May.
In October The Washington Post’s boss hit back at claims that it was Jeff Bezos, the paper’s billionaire owner, who squashed its endorsement of Harris.
A Harris endorsement had been drafted and was being reviewed by Bezos, according to the paper’s page editor David Shipley, but was spiked just 11 days before the election.
At least one editor has resigned, according to CNN, which also reports that thousands of readers have pulled their subscriptions.
Post publisher Will Lewis rejected claims that Bezos was involved in the endorsement decision.
‘Reporting around the role of The Washington Post owner and the decision not to publish a presidential endorsement has been inaccurate,’ Lewis said.
In October The Washington Post’s boss has hit back at claims it was Jeff Bezos who squashed the paper’s endorsement of Kamala Harris
‘He was not sent, did not read and did not opine on any draft. As publisher, I do not believe in presidential endorsements.
‘We are an independent newspaper and should support our readers’ ability to make up their own minds.’
He added that the move was not ‘tacit endorsement of one candidate, or as a condemnation of another’.
The announcement marked the first time in 36 years that the left-leaning paper had decided to not make a presidential endorsement.
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