I guess "Democracy Dies in Darkness" just ... died in the darkness.
Murdered by Jeff Bezos who wants to rebrand the paper for "all Americans."
The D.C. paper has memory-holed its self-righteous catchphrase in favor of a new, less foreboding motto:
"Riveting Storytelling for All of America."
How incredibly boring.
The "Democracy Dies in Darkness" schtick began in 2017 as a not-so-subtle dig at President Trump and how WaPo was going to hold the bad orange man to account.
Now that Trump is back again in 2024, and WaPo and Amazon owner Jeff Bezos is even shelling out cash for his inaugural fund, it's clear that the paper is wanting to distance itself from its own past.
This comes after WaPo parted ways with Taylor Lorenz and Never-Trumper Jennifer Rubin.
Here's how WaPo's competitor, The New York Times, is covering this shift:
The statement is meant to be an internal rallying point for employees, according to two people with knowledge of the decision. Executives are not planning to replace its more strident public slogan. Suzi Watford, The Post's chief strategy officer, has been previewing it to some employees this week.
The new mission statement comes amid turmoil in the newsroom. Since June, The Post has been reeling from a series of crises that has resulted in widespread dissatisfaction with Will Lewis, the company's chief executive. On Wednesday, more than 400 employees sent a letter to Jeff Bezos, the paper's billionaire owner, requesting a meeting to discuss leadership decisions that they said 'led readers to question the integrity of this institution' and that 'prompted some of our most distinguished colleagues to leave.'
This looks like a full blown mutiny may happen at The Post ... all because Bezos doesn't hate Trump enough.
Elon seems to be hopeful about the rebrand.
We'll see if the paper can weather the storm and somehow remain relevant.
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