Brett Levy
There has been an effort on Twitter and other social media called #whyisubscribe asking subscribers to keep or renew their accounts at the Los Angeles Times and The Washington Post. Here are a few sample Tweets:
T.L. Langford, Texas Tribune:
I had let my @latimes subscription lapse about a year ago because I have access via work. Today I re-upped. And I’m keeping my @washingtonpost subscription. Because they both produce incredible journalism. And they’re more valuable to me than a Prime subscription.
Amy Kaufman, Los Angeles Times:
This is why the LA Times still matters. Because of reporters doing work like @RosannaXia. Please don't forget what good journalism can do. https://t.co/o5K0uYWIGA
julie k. brown, journalist:
I urge anyone who has cancelled their subscriptions -- as well as those who are considering it, to remember that the Washington Post and its journalists have produced some of the country's finest journalism. Those journalists continue to do their work with integrity, despite Bezos. harm
Kevin Baron, journalist:
I subscribe to the @washingtonpost because Jason Robards playing Ben Bradlee in All the President's Men looked exactly like my grandfather. Also, because I'm an adult. Also, it is my hometown paper, one of the nation's essential. Also, to teach my kids. #whyIsubscribe
Oh, and shout out to all of the great WaPo reporters over the years I've had the privilege to work with like @missy_ryan @IgnatiusPost @joshrogin @DanLamothe @GregJaffe @CraigMWhitlock @gregpmiller @shaneharris (then), @karendeyoung1 @John_Hudson @DavidNakamura
Elizabeth Williamson, NYT:
I subscribe for the empathetic, searching exploration of religion by @mboorstein, the urgent climate coverage guided by @eilperin , & the fearless unearthing of deep-seated problems at @VMI1839 by @ianshapira #whyIsubscribe
Peter Baker, Washington Post:
As a reporter, endorsements are out of my lane. As a proud 20-year veteran of the @washingtonpost who still loves the place, though, I agree with fellow journalists concerned about billionaire owners with business interests overruling editors 11 days before an election
Intended or not, it sends a terrible signal about journalistic independence and integrity, as @PostBaron has said. It gives the impression of being intimidated by people in power who denigrate the very idea of a free and independent press that speaks truth to power.
Having said that, canceling subscriptions at this point is counter-productive. The @washingtonpost is one of the few bastions left of journalistic excellence, stocked with amazing reporters who have uncovered some of the most important stories of our era.
Mike Forsythe, NYT:
I subscribe to the @washingtonpost not only for their political coverage but also because of their international reporting, especially the superb investigations by @ShibaniMahtani and China coverage by their brilliant new hire, @NorthropKatrina #whyIsubscribe
Christopher Flavelle, NYT:
I work at The New York Times, and I rely on The Washington Post — as a journalist who admires their top-notch coverage, but also as a reader and as a citizen. If you’ve canceled your subscription, please reconsider. A strong Post is good for all of us. #whyisubscribe
Charlie Savage, NYT:
I subscribe to the Washington Post, 7 days a week print delivery and online, for Ellen Nakashima's investigative journalism on cyber and intelligence issues. @nakashimae #whyIsubscribe
Tara Copp, AP:
I subscribe to the @washingtonpost because of my Pentagon press corps WaPo colleagues @DanLamothe @missy_ryan @AlexHortonTX @CraigMWhitlock and the nuanced national security reporting they bring to bear, like Craig’s expert FOIA fight that unearthed ugly truths on #Afghanistan. A Democracy needs as many eyes watching as possible. #whyisubscribe
John D'Anna, Managing Editor at Santa Rosa The Press Democrat (and a former colleague of mine) via LinkedIn:
The decisions by the billionaire owners of the LA Times and Washington Post are self-serving, craven and an affront to everything I’ve stood for in four decades as a journalist. I understand the desire to cancel your subscription. But that will only hurt the hard-working journalists who are fighting to bring you the truth. Their work has nothing to do with editorial policy, and in the end canceling your subscription is like cutting off your nose to spite your face. However if that’s the form of protest you choose, I urge you to redirect your dollars to your local independent news organization. The democracy you save may be your own.
(Image generated by CoPilot AI.)
