An article on Press Watch titled “Beware the Tory Takeover of the Washington Post” absurdly suggests The Washington Post is shifting towards a conservative bias under new leadership despite the paper’s longstanding left-leaning stance, epitomized by its recent strapline change: “Democracy Dies in Darkness.”
Press Watch’s author, Dan Froomkin, frets over the appointment of Will Lewis, a former Murdoch executive, as the new publisher of the Post. According to Froomkin, a former Post editor himself, this signals a dangerous rightward shift. He cites Lewis’s recruitment of Matt Murray and Rob Winnett, both with backgrounds in slightly less left-wing media, as proof of this supposed ideological coup.
…there is a palpable fear in and out of the Post newsroom that the three men will drag the Post’s political coverage in a more pro-Trump direction…”
– Dan Froomkin, Press Watch, 2024
But the idea that the Washington Post, a paper known for its corporate, neo-liberal bent, is suddenly veering right is risible. This is a publication that has consistently championed far-left causes, peddled anti-Republican hoaxes, and scarcely provides a platform for a worldview besides globalism. Claiming the Post is not sufficiently left-wing is to argue the ocean isn’t wet enough.
Froomkin’s assertion that the Post needs to move away from “both sides” journalism is particularly revealing. The concept of balanced reporting—providing varied perspectives—is foundational to large newsrooms. Otherwise, you simply become an extension of a political campaign: something – if you ask even Trump campaign staff – this website shies away from. We keep “radically independent” as our motto, and we’re proud of it.
“Barring a Trump victory and the end of democracy, climate will arguably be the biggest news story of the next several decades.”
– Dan Froomkin, Press Watch, 2024
Yet, for the left, anything less than outright partisanship is unacceptable. The calls for the Post to abandon all semblance of balance – especially given its current position on the political spectrum – underscores the left’s new totalitarianism.
The hyperbole surrounding the so-called “Tory takeover” is misplaced. The term “Tory” traditionally refers to the Conservative Party in the UK, which is itself quite left-wing by American standards. Branding figures like Lewis, Murray, and Winnett as right-wingers is not only inaccurate but indicative of a broader strategy: demonize and discredit anyone who isn’t a fully-fledged Marxist.
What Froomkin and his ilk fail to grasp is that good journalism should challenge all sides and hold power to account, regardless of political affiliation. By insisting the Washington Post should focus on attacking Trump and conservative policies, Froomkin is advocating propaganda, not journalism.
