‘Betrayed’ 2,000 readers cancel WaPo subscription after paper refuses to endorse Harris

The decision by the Washington Post, an influential newspaper among American elites, to not endorse the Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris has now sparked a massive subscription cancellation spree. The Post announced Friday (Oct 25) it will endorse neither Democrat Kamala Harris nor Republican Donald Trump in the 2024 US presidential election, in a first in 36 years. 

The move didn’t go down well with the Democrat-leaning subscribers of the paper, with more than 2,000 of them cancelling their subscriptions in less than 24 hours. Author Stephen King and Star Trek actor George Takei are among influential Americans who have expressed their frustration by cancelling their WaPo subscriptions.

"After 5 years, I have cancelled my subscription to the Washington Post," announced King, a vocal critic of the Republican Party. George Takei meanwhile launched a tirade against WaPo owner Jeff Bezos, saying: “If Jeff Bezos cowers before power, we the consumers should show him ours by staying off Amazon through the election."

Many have dubbed the decision by the WaPo as a betrayal of the paper’s readers.

Also read: Washington Post says will not endorse Harris or Trump in election

But it’s not just the readers whose feelings and emotions have been seemingly hurt by the Post; some staffers too have voiced their anger at the decision.

Robert Kagan, an opinion editor-at-large at the Post, said he was tendering his resignation.

"This is obviously an effort by Jeff Bezos to curry favour with Donald Trump in the anticipation of his possible victory," Robert Kagan was quoted as saying by CNN, another Democrat-leaning news broadcaster.

Karen Attiah, a columnist for the Washington Post, also called the decision “a stab in the back.” The journalists’ union for the WaPo said it was deeply concerned at the move.

Also read: US Presidential Election 2024: Key issues Americans will be voting on

The Post has been endorsing Democratic candidates consistently as far back as the 1980s, always making clear that the editorial board works separately from the newsgathering operation – as is typical in US news organisations.

(With inputs from agencies)