The Washington Post, a once-thriving newspaper, has been grappling with a series of challenges, including dwindling revenue, a shrinking readership, staff layoffs, and a political pivot under the stewardship of owner Jeff Bezos.
In a surprising turn of events, columnist Jen Rubin has announced her departure from the paper to join forces with Norm Eisen, a key figure in President Donald Trump's first impeachment in 2020. Together, they plan to launch a new media outlet, The Contrarian, aimed at countering what they perceive as the "authoritarian threat" posed by Trump.
According to The Post Millennial, Rubin and Eisen's venture, The Contrarian, is set to operate under the tagline "not owned by anybody," a clear jab at tech billionaire Bezos's foray into the newspaper industry. Rubin, who will serve as editor-in-chief, has accused Bezos of capitulating to Trump, a sentiment she expressed in her departure announcement. However, it's worth noting that neither Rubin nor The Contrarian will be associated with Elon Musk's X.
"Our goal," Rubin stated in an interview with CNN, "is to combat, with every fiber of our being, the authoritarian threat that we face." This echoes the "resist" mantra that became a rallying cry for Democrats and leftists during Trump's first term in office. The objective, it seems, is to continue opposing any initiatives put forth by the Trump administration, a strategy reminiscent of The Washington Post's long-standing tagline, "democracy dies in darkness."
In a post on X, Rubin announced, "BIG NEWS. I have left the Post. Corporate and billionaire media are failing to meet the moment. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. I'm This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We'll have politics but also cooking, humor, film and even pets. Please subscribe and join the fight. http://contrarian.substack.com. And because I want to be true to my values I am leaving X. I refuse to enable the Elon-Trump presidency."
Eisen, for his part, emphasized the diversity of voices that The Contrarian intends to feature. "The voices we'll be featuring are diverse across parties and generations connected by a shared belief that we need an unshackled media in order to meet this moment, as we face an existential threat to American democracy," he said.
Despite its self-proclaimed "pro-democracy" stance, The Contrarian has raised eyebrows for its roster of contributors, which, according to CNN, includes individuals who played key roles in debunking 2020 election denialism and investigating the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol.
In one of her final columns for the Washington Post, Rubin argued that "Democrats shouldnt try to find common ground with Trump." She criticized Democrats willing to work with Trump, describing their overtures as "naive, tone-deaf declarations epitomize an infatuation with bipartisanship for bipartisanships sake. Sometimes, its better not to bend the knee before the bidding even gets underway."
She went on to label Trump's Cabinet picks as "crackpots" and suggested that "Democrats strain credulity if they imagine they can find common ground with someone who vows, among other mind-boggling schemes, to imprison opponents, deploy the military against immigrants, snatch the power of the purse from Congress and pay for tax cuts for billionaires with cuts to entitlements and other programs that serve ordinary Americans."
Rubin's departure from the Post comes amid signs that Bezos is steering the paper away from its traditionally leftist stance. His refusal to endorse Harris led to a wave of staff resignations, and he has hinted at plans to bring conservative columnists on board. Similar changes are afoot at the LA Times, where the publisher has refused to endorse Harris and is planning to revamp the editorial board with conservative voices, including CNN's Scott Jennings.
Meanwhile, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO and founder of Meta, has announced plans to shift his platforms, notably Instagram and Facebook, back towards free speech. He has removed third-party fact-checkers from the sites and is relocating the content moderation teams to Texas, away from the "toxic woke sludge" of Silicon Valley. These developments underscore a broader trend of media outlets and tech companies reassessing their political leanings and commitment to free speech.
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