Michele Norris, a veteran columnist for The Washington Post, has publicly declared her resignation from the esteemed newspaper.
This decision comes in the wake of the paper's refusal to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris for the presidency. Norris, who has a long-standing relationship with the paper, expressed her disappointment and disagreement with the paper's stance.
Norris made her announcement on X, stating, As of yesterday, I have decided to resign from my role as a columnist for The Washington Post a newspaper that I love. In a moment like this, everyone needs to make their own decisions. According to The Post Millennial, Norris took issue with the paper's decision, labeling it as a "terrible mistake & an insult to the papers own longstanding standard of regularly endorsing candidates since 1976."
Norris further argued that the paper's decision to withhold an endorsement "abdicates [the papers] role in informing and guiding voters." She emphasized that the paper has a history of endorsing candidates, including those who opposed Donald Trump in the 2016 and 2020 elections. Norris maintained that a newspaper does not compromise its independence by endorsing candidates. She stated, An endorsement provides guidance based on muscular and independent analysis. And it provides a window into an institutions core values.
The veteran columnist expressed her deep disappointment with The Post's decision, especially considering the critical nature of the current election cycle. She said, I am deeply disappointed by The Posts decision to reverse course and withhold a presidential endorsement in this election cycle when the excellent reporting throughout the entirety of the paper makes clear all that is at stake in the election and around the world.
Norris, who has a rich history with The Washington Post, reflected on her tenure, stating, I have been proud to write occasional columns for the Washington Post over the past five years. I have a long history at the paper, having worked as an award-winning staff writer for The Post in the late eighties and early nineties before starting a career in TV and radio.
The Post's decision not to endorse Harris has drawn criticism from several left-leaning voices, leading to high-profile figures like author Stephen King announcing their intention to cancel their subscriptions. In response to the backlash, the paper defended its stance, stating it will not be endorsing any candidate in this or any future presidential election. The paper asserted, "We are returning to our roots of not endorsing presidential candidates."
The Washington Post concluded by emphasizing its commitment to providing non-partisan news and thought-provoking views to its readers. The paper stated, "Our job at The Washington Post is to provide through the newsroom non-partisan news for all Americans, and thought-provoking, reported views from our opinion team to help our readers make up their own minds. Most of all, our job as the newspaper of the capital city of the most important country in the world is to be independent.
Login