The Washington Post’s collapse is just the beginning

A media manifesto.

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(The Washington Post building/ Getty Images/ Kevin Carter)

Over the weekend, Politico — in a bit of a troll move — published a list of ALL of the reporters, columnists and editors who have left the Washington Post since late 2024.

There were more than 100 names on it. It ran to three printed pages.

Just this week, that list got longer — with the news that Glenn Kessler, the Post’s “Fact Checker,” as well as longtime editors Mike Semel, Monica Norton and Ann Gerhart are all leaving.

It’s easy to dunk on the Post. Or its owner Jeff Bezos. Or its publisher Will Lewis. And lots and lots of people are doing it.

But while the Post is the first legacy media organization to wither in public, it isn’t the only one doing so. And, in truth, what is happening at the Post will happen to every single legacy media organization (if it isn’t already happening) within the next 5-10 years.

What’s happening to legacy media is often described as a “collapse.” I think that may be too harsh. The Washington Post will continue to exist in a decade, after all. (At least I think it will!). Instead what I think is happening is an evolution — or, more accurately, a devolution.

Why?

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