The Washington Post has experienced a significant subscriber exodus following its decision to forgo a presidential endorsement, losing an estimated 250,000 digital subscribers, roughly 10% of its digital following, The Associated Press reports.
The newspaper reported this figure on Wednesday, citing internal documents and unnamed sources familiar with the numbers.
While the Post declined to officially confirm the figure, citing its status as a private company, the decision to forgo an endorsement has undeniably sparked a backlash. This comes on the heels of a similar non-endorsement by the Los Angeles Times, which also saw a cancellation surge, though not on the same scale as the Post.
The Post’s owner, Jeff Bezos, justified the decision by arguing that endorsements create a perception of bias while having little real influence on readers’ voting choices. He expressed regret at making the announcement so close to Election Day, as the paper’s editorial staff had reportedly prepared an endorsement of Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.
Despite the subscriber losses, the Post’s executive editor, Matt Murray, shared some positive news during a staff meeting, noting “several positive days” of new subscriber sign-ups. However, specific numbers were not disclosed.
The Post’s decision has sparked outrage among some readers, many of whom have already paid for a year’s access and will retain it until their subscriptions expire.
The newspaper saw a significant surge in subscribers during Donald Trump’s presidency, driven by readers seeking out its aggressive coverage. This has raised concerns about a potential repeat if Trump is re-elected, potentially leading to a further influx of subscribers attracted to the Post’s coverage.
For now, however, the impact of the non-endorsement is undeniable. “It’s very bad,” stated an unnamed source, adding that after experiencing subscriber losses during the Biden administration, the Post had seen positive growth signs until this week’s events.
