More than 250,000 digital subscribers have canceled their Washington Post subscriptions following the organization's announcement that it would discontinue its longstanding practice of presidential endorsements, according to internal documents obtained by The Washington Post.
The cancellations, representing approximately 10% of the outlet's digital subscriber base, began surging on Friday after CEO and Publisher William Lewis made the announcement, according to documents and two sources familiar with the data who spoke to The Washington Post on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to comment publicly. By Tuesday, the exodus had reached 250,000 subscribers.
A spokesperson for The Post declined to discuss the numbers, noting that as a privately owned company, the organization typically keeps such business data confidential.
Executive Editor Matt Murray, who oversees news coverage separately from the opinions department, addressed the situation during a staff meeting on Tuesday, acknowledging the potential for "substantial" cancellations while emphasizing that the full business impact remains unclear.
"There's a view that the numbers are going to be bumpy and rough for a couple weeks, and we'll see how they settle down," Murray told staff members.
The figure, first reported by NPR, doesn't account for new subscriptions during the same period or subscribers who may have reconsidered their cancellation. Many cancellations won't take immediate effect due to annual subscription commitments, with only a few thousand accounts completely terminated, according to a source close to the situation who wasn't authorized to discuss details.
Jeff Bezos, The Post's owner, and Amazon's founder, defended the decision in a Monday op-ed, calling it "a principled decision" aimed at strengthening the paper's independence and rebuilding media trust. He addressed criticism about the announcement's timing – just 11 days before the election – and denied allegations of seeking favor with a potential second Trump administration.
The decision has sparked significant internal discord. More than 20 Post opinion columnists expressed their dissent in a published piece, and three editorial board members stepped down from their positions while remaining on staff. According to Post reporting, a draft endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris had been prepared before the policy change.
Readers have responded strongly, with tens of thousands commenting on Post stories about the development. Many longtime subscribers expressed dismay at what they perceived as a capitulation to Donald Trump.
During Tuesday's staff meeting, Murray noted several days of strong new subscription growth, though specific numbers weren't provided. A person familiar with Post subscriptions confirmed higher-than-normal new subscriptions in recent days.
The digital subscription landscape has become increasingly competitive for media companies. The Post's digital subscribers peaked at 3 million in January 2021 before declining to about 2.5 million currently. The company lost $77 million last year, less than the projected $100 million, after reducing staff through a buyout program.
