Betsy Reed, editor of The Guardian US, speaks out about the craven refusal of both Los Angeles Times and Washington Post to endorse Kamala Harris in the election — that is, to reject fascism:
"It has never been clearer that media ownership matters to democracy."
That's it in a nutshell. As long as fascism is good for business elites and rich men, bring it on…. That's what these beyond shameful media outlets are saying.
"This is cowardice, a moment of darkness that will leave democracy as a casualty."
~ Marty Baron, former executive editor of Washingon Post quoted by D. Earl Stephens
Stephens adds,
"When a newspaper with the logo 'Democracy Dies in Darkness' fails to endorse the candidate that stands up for that Democracy, they are not being accurate or credible.
They in fact are completely worthless.
Dead."
#Trump #fascism #WashingtonPost
/2
https://dearlstephens.substack.com/p/breaking-the-washington-post-has
"The editor of the editorial page had already drafted the paper’s endorsement of Kamala Harris when publisher Will Lewis—who is a new hire, hailing from the Rupert Murdoch journalism tree—quashed it and then released a CYA statement about how the paper was 'returning to its roots' of not endorsing candidates. The Post itself reported that the decision was made by the paper’s owner, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos."
#Trump #fascism #WashingtonPost #JeffBezos #Murdoch
/3
https://www.thebulwark.com/p/bezos-kills-washington-post-endorsement-guardrails-falling
"Our corporate media, run by billionaires, are abdicating their duty and fidelity to democracy by proactively bending the knee to Trump and his dictatorial ambitions. The people must resist."
~ Wajahat Ali
#Trump #fascism #WashingtonPost #JeffBezos #RupertMurdoch
/4
https://thelefthook.substack.com/p/democracy-dies-for-billionaires
"Will Lewis should be ashamed, if shame is an emotion he is capable of feeling. What an empty shell of a leader. What an embarrassing decline for a once-venerated news organization.
This decision won’t impact the outcome of the election in eleven days. But it will have a lasting impact on how people think of the Washington Post."
~ Dave Karpf
#Trump #fascism #WashingtonPost #JeffBezos #RupertMurdoch #WillLewis
/5
https://davekarpf.substack.com/p/a-suggestion-for-the-washington-posts
"As the 2024 election looms, media self-censorship in response to Trump’s potential return threatens the democratic role of journalism. …
In times like these, it's crucial for media organizations to remember their responsibility to the public. Anticipatory obedience may offer short-term safety, but it poses long-term risks to the very fabric of democracy."
~ Parker Molloy
#Trump #fascism #WashingtonPost #JeffBezos #RupertMurdoch #WillLewis
/6
https://www.readtpa.com/p/playing-it-safe-is-risking-democracy
The aren't obeying in advance.
They want Trump to win.
#Trump #fascism #WashingtonPost #JeffBezos #RupertMurdoch #WillLewis #LosAngelesTimes #media
/7
"One week before the mortals finish voting and might elect an authoritarian, one whose former chief of staff calls him a fascist, the Washington Post has decided that silence is the best way to guide its readers.
Silence, after all, will not offend the authoritarian should he win."
~ Benjamin Wittes
#Trump #fascism #WashingtonPost #JeffBezos #RupertMurdoch #WillLewis
/8
https://www.thebulwark.com/p/the-washington-post-bends-the-knee
"Their billionaire owners [of Los Angeles Times and Washington Post] are Trump enablers. ...
The only credible explanation I can think of is that the Post’s billionaire owner, Jeff Bezos, doesn’t want to raise the ire of Donald Trump, should Trump become president — especially now that Trump has declared his intention to punish his opponents."
~ Robert Reich
#Trump #fascism #WashingtonPost #JeffBezos
/9
https://robertreich.substack.com/p/cowardice-and-intimidation-at-the
"Bezos’s other businesses have many federal government contracts, and his largest — Amazon — is the current target of a federal antitrust suit.
Assuming this is the explanation, it stinks. It undermines the credibility of one of our leading newspapers."
"We are come to a juncture in America where, as in the first Gilded Age, enormous wealth is lodged in a very few hands — hands that are now either actively supporting Trump (such as Elon Musk) or afraid to come out against him for fear he’ll wreak vengeance on them if they do."
William Lindsey 
wasabi brain