Op-Ed Sections, Threat or Menace?

[Azrael]

Bezos:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/10/28/jeff-bezos-washington-post-trust/

 

[WriteThinking]

Bezos picked a fine time to decide that The Washington Post lacks credibility and shouldn't be believed, didn't he?

And regarding this from the article: Presidential endorsements do nothing to tip the scales of an election. No undecided voters in Pennsylvania are going to say, "I'm going with Newspaper A's endorsement." None.

How does he know?

Most people who read newspapers understand them. They read the news stories and know that they're separate from editorials, and vice versa. And that both types of journalism serve important purposes and roles for the readership. There is value in not just letting readers fall where they may, i.e vote on whims instead of, hopefully, making informed decisions and having educated opinions. That would seem especially so when it comes to important things -- like Presidential elections and such.

Oh, and I guess we'll see, four years from now, if the Washington Post and L.A. Times stick to the decisions they apparently just had to make, like, right now.

 

[DanOregon]

I do wonder what a federal contract for Blue Origin is compared to the cost of losing 200k subscribers. And lets be honest, he bought the Post just for these kind of situations - heck, brought in that publisher - just for these situations, to suck up to various power bases.

 

[FileNotFound]

Bezos:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/10/28/jeff-bezos-washington-post-trust/

Well, that was terrible.

 

[Alma]

Well, that was terrible.

Terrible timing - which Bezos has to own, and he sort of explains.

But if he'd written that op-ed six months ago, it's a pretty clear distillation of what he actually thinks – whether we agree with it or not.

and, after all, it's his newspaper.

 

[Sam Mills 51]

Terrible timing - which Bezos has to own, and he sort of explains.

But if he'd written that op-ed six months ago, it's a pretty clear distillation of what he actually thinks – whether we agree with it or not.

and, after all, it's his newspaper.

Um, no. Try again.

This crap by Bezos – along with the garbage by LAT – is nothing more than proof that SPC's intimidation tactics worked. Additionally, both are concerned that he will go after both of them if he ends up back in office.

While LAT might have to worry about the bottom line, Bezos is running WaPo out of the spare change that falls out of his couch.

Thanks for playing.

 

[Alma]

David Simon didn't cancel his use of Elon Musk's product, and Musk is degrees worse as a human being vs. Bezos.

In that way, Simon actually makes Bezos' point: He doesn't need a Washington Post news gathering service. David Simon wanted the Washington Post brand as a validation for his beliefs. There isn't any news he needs there, because the news that the Washington Post provides is the same kind of news that 17 other places are providing.

Twitter, owned by a true a-hole, gives Simon more of what he wants: A platform to shirt on things and people, which today is The Post. David Simon already knows how the world works – just ask him - so, at this point, his primary role is to share all that he knows.

 

[Alma]

Um, no. Try again.

This crap by Bezos – along with the garbage by LAT – is nothing more than proof that SPC's intimidation tactics worked. Additionally, both are concerned that he will go after both of them if he ends up back in office.

While LAT might have to worry about the bottom line, Bezos is running WaPo out of the spare change that falls out of his couch.

Thanks for playing.

What or who is SPC?

 

[Azrael]

10%

 

[Azrael]

David Simon didn't cancel his use of Elon Musk's product, and Musk is degrees worse as a human being vs. Bezos.

In that way, Simon actually makes Bezos' point: He doesn't need a Washington Post news gathering service. David Simon wanted the Washington Post brand as a validation for his beliefs. There isn't any news he needs there, because the news that the Washington Post provides is the same kind of news that 17 other places are providing.

Twitter, owned by a true a-hole, gives Simon more of what he wants: A platform to shirt on things and people, which today is The Post. David Simon already knows how the world works – just ask him - so, at this point, his primary role is to share all that he knows.

Maybe David Simon holds the Washington Post to a higher standard.

 

[I Should Coco]

10%

Technical question ... because I don't have any online newspaper subscriptions.*

In the old days, when readers called, wrote or stormed into the newsroom to huff "I'm canceling my subscription!" it wasn't like they got a refund. Often, dead tree edition subscriptions paid for six months or a year ahead of time (for some sort of savings to the suscriber). So when those people canceled? Hey, we already have your money for the next six-plus months.

Today, how does that work with digital subscribers? Do they usually pay per month, or can they buy at longer periods of time?

Either way, losing 10% of your subscribers is a financial kick in the ass.

* -- well, technically I can read my shop's website for free because I get the print edition for free. And I subscribe to a large regional daily paper, getting the Sunday print edition, and therefore can read their online content freebee. So I guess I meant I don't have any online only subscriptions.

 

[Alma]

Maybe David Simon holds the Washington Post to a higher standard.

yeah, he obviously doesn't value the journalism that's produced by the newsroom or the hard-working journalist producing it. Does he think it's going to hurt Jeff Bezos?

I'd love to know what the larger endgame is here with celebrities. Is it to force Bezos to sell the paper? Is it to see the Washington Post reduced to a hull because of staff walkouts and rebuild as, what? The embodiment of David Simon's values?