5 ms·

WP's phrase "Democracy dies in darkness" apparently was not a slogan, but a prediction.

by sega_sai 2y ago

deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
throwup238 2y ago
It was a call to arms.
mc32 2y ago
It almost did but Bezos is rescuing it from the other extreme. Remains to be seen if he leaves it in the center or takes it to an opposite extreme. Shame few who’re complaining now complained when it became a one sided mouthpiece for the leftist establishment. But now they is big mad he be aligning it with his politics.
- neilv 2y ago
  > Shame few complained when it became a one sided mouthpiece for the leftist establishment. Did it? Why did only few complain?
- guelo 2y ago
  Ok I'll believe you if you give specifics. Here we have the WaPo publisher specifically saying he will bias the paper towards libertarianism. What's a similar example on the other side?
  - mc32 2y ago
    Do you need a bigger example than the tantrums thrown when they were verboten from endorsing a lackluster presidential candidate?
    - selykg 2y ago
      [flagged]
  - judah 2y ago
    On the scale of left|lean-left|center|lean-right|right, AllSides rates Washington Post as lean-left[0]. The Washington Post's last 10 US Presidential endorsements were all Democrats[1]: Biden in 2020, Clinton in 2016, Obama in 2012, Obama in 2008, Kerry in 2004, Gore in 2000, Clinton in 1996, Clinton in 1992, Dukakis in 1988, and Mondale in 1984. [0]: https://www.allsides.com/media-bias/media-bias-chart https://www.allsides.com/media-bias/media-bias-chart [1]: https://ballotpedia.org/Endorsements_by_The_Washington_Post_Editorial_Board?form=MG0AV3 https://ballotpedia.org/Endorsements_by_The_Washington_Post_...
    - guelo 2y ago
      So there is no evidence of bias directed from up top. How could you tell the difference between journalists calling BS on bad GOP ideas vs some amorphous bias?
      - judah 2y ago
        A newspaper exclusively endorses one party over the last several decades and your conclusion is that there is no bias?
- goatlover 2y ago
  Who is the Leftist Establisment? Because it isn't Democrats. Ask any real leftist and they will tell you the Democratic Party is centrist.
  - dingnuts 2y ago
    The establishment is the apparatus currently complaining loudest about its demise at the hands of DOGE: unelected government bureaucrats and all downstream beneficiaries of their policies from SEC-mandated DEI practitioners in private industry to bloated university administrative offices. Quibble about "leftist" if you want; this is what the grandparent refers to. You can disagree with the narrative but if you fail to understand your opponent you can't ever hope to change their mind.
    - ceejayoz 2y ago
      > unelected government bureaucrats Isn’t Musk a perfect example of one now?
    - goatlover 2y ago
      I'm becoming convinced the opponent wants to grab power and isn't interesting in changing their minds. Some of their supporters might when the effects of DOGE hits home.
  - decremental 2y ago
    [dead]
- cafard 2y ago
  Have you read the Post's editorial and op-ed pages? I am long out of the habit, but when I do look at them, there are plenty of contributors who are old-line conservative (George Will's columns are syndicated through the Post) or new and happy to tell us about the special genius of this president.
kerblang 2y ago
It's always annoyed me and in fact Jon Stewart made fun of it in an interview with Ezra Klein of... the NY Times. Democracy is not a reverse vampire that sleeps in a tanning bed. It's perfectly fine with darkness. Democracy Dies in Ignorance would be a more objective & rational motto, even if it is a bit preening and hysterical. Democracy Thrives In Knowledge is a bit more upbeat and gets the point across. Or even Democracy Compels Free Speech which Bezos would probably endorse in spite of his self-contradictory behavior here. (Yes, he did make a bad call.)
abigail95 2y ago
what do you mean by democracy here and what's the effect you think moderation of the opinion section will have? the writers will be better off on substack, and the owners have a newspaper where they publish the opinions they like. news remains unchanged. the name "Washington Post" to historians is of a newspaper that spent decades advancing racism. it didn't serve more balanced news journalism until nearly 100 years after it was founded. this is not some fine and well storied institution. their tag line of "Democracy Dies in Darkness" is from the first Trump era and is a call back to watergate era investigative reporting. it has nothing to do with opinion articles.
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]

WP's phrase "Democracy dies in darkness" apparently was not a slogan, but a prediction.

deleted 2y ago

[deleted]

throwup238 2y ago

It was a call to arms.

mc32 2y ago

It almost did but Bezos is rescuing it from the other extreme. Remains to be seen if he leaves it in the center or takes it to an opposite extreme. Shame few who’re complaining now complained when it became a one sided mouthpiece for the leftist establishment. But now they is big mad he be aligning it with his politics.

neilv 2y ago
> Shame few complained when it became a one sided mouthpiece for the leftist establishment. Did it? Why did only few complain?
guelo 2y ago
Ok I'll believe you if you give specifics. Here we have the WaPo publisher specifically saying he will bias the paper towards libertarianism. What's a similar example on the other side?
- mc32 2y ago
  Do you need a bigger example than the tantrums thrown when they were verboten from endorsing a lackluster presidential candidate?
  - selykg 2y ago
    [flagged]
- judah 2y ago
  On the scale of left|lean-left|center|lean-right|right, AllSides rates Washington Post as lean-left[0]. The Washington Post's last 10 US Presidential endorsements were all Democrats[1]: Biden in 2020, Clinton in 2016, Obama in 2012, Obama in 2008, Kerry in 2004, Gore in 2000, Clinton in 1996, Clinton in 1992, Dukakis in 1988, and Mondale in 1984. [0]: https://www.allsides.com/media-bias/media-bias-chart https://www.allsides.com/media-bias/media-bias-chart [1]: https://ballotpedia.org/Endorsements_by_The_Washington_Post_Editorial_Board?form=MG0AV3 https://ballotpedia.org/Endorsements_by_The_Washington_Post_...
  - guelo 2y ago
    So there is no evidence of bias directed from up top. How could you tell the difference between journalists calling BS on bad GOP ideas vs some amorphous bias?
    - judah 2y ago
      A newspaper exclusively endorses one party over the last several decades and your conclusion is that there is no bias?
goatlover 2y ago
Who is the Leftist Establisment? Because it isn't Democrats. Ask any real leftist and they will tell you the Democratic Party is centrist.
- dingnuts 2y ago
  The establishment is the apparatus currently complaining loudest about its demise at the hands of DOGE: unelected government bureaucrats and all downstream beneficiaries of their policies from SEC-mandated DEI practitioners in private industry to bloated university administrative offices. Quibble about "leftist" if you want; this is what the grandparent refers to. You can disagree with the narrative but if you fail to understand your opponent you can't ever hope to change their mind.
  - ceejayoz 2y ago
    > unelected government bureaucrats Isn’t Musk a perfect example of one now?
  - goatlover 2y ago
    I'm becoming convinced the opponent wants to grab power and isn't interesting in changing their minds. Some of their supporters might when the effects of DOGE hits home.
- decremental 2y ago
  [dead]
cafard 2y ago
Have you read the Post's editorial and op-ed pages? I am long out of the habit, but when I do look at them, there are plenty of contributors who are old-line conservative (George Will's columns are syndicated through the Post) or new and happy to tell us about the special genius of this president.

kerblang 2y ago

It's always annoyed me and in fact Jon Stewart made fun of it in an interview with Ezra Klein of... the NY Times. Democracy is not a reverse vampire that sleeps in a tanning bed. It's perfectly fine with darkness. Democracy Dies in Ignorance would be a more objective & rational motto, even if it is a bit preening and hysterical. Democracy Thrives In Knowledge is a bit more upbeat and gets the point across. Or even Democracy Compels Free Speech which Bezos would probably endorse in spite of his self-contradictory behavior here. (Yes, he did make a bad call.)

abigail95 2y ago

what do you mean by democracy here and what's the effect you think moderation of the opinion section will have? the writers will be better off on substack, and the owners have a newspaper where they publish the opinions they like. news remains unchanged. the name "Washington Post" to historians is of a newspaper that spent decades advancing racism. it didn't serve more balanced news journalism until nearly 100 years after it was founded. this is not some fine and well storied institution. their tag line of "Democracy Dies in Darkness" is from the first Trump era and is a call back to watergate era investigative reporting. it has nothing to do with opinion articles.

deleted 2y ago

[deleted]