In case anybody who works at Washington Post or LA Times is reading this, I’d just like to point out

Paul Cantrell

In case anybody who works at Washington Post or LA Times is reading this, I’d just like to point out:

You have the text of that endorsement,

and you have the facts and your own thoughts about being silenced by your billionaire master, thoughts which you can surely put in words,

and SOMEBODY has the password the CMS

and SOMEBODY has the DNS credentials

and SOMEBODY sends that final draft to press

and in no cases is that “somebody” the paper’s owner. Just saying.

Paul Cantrell

At least one person at WaPo understood the assignment:
https://med-mastodon.com/@DrBonesMD/113370614688090131

Marsh Gardiner 🌱🐝

@inthehands See also this response written by 10 columnists: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/10/25/post-columnist-no-endorsement-2024-trump-harris/

Byron :computerfairies:

@inthehands Is there a real person somewhere in america who is waiting on the endorsement of a specific paper? A person who has been scrupulous on learning nothing about both the current election cycle and the forty+ years we have known these candidates.

Is there a person awaiting the GWB endorsement that wouldn't already know who Cheney is and was?

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for WaPo/LA Times/newspaper hate. It's just weird that _this_ is why people are getting mad at the paper now

Paul Cantrell

@level2wizard
1. People grossly overestimate the prevalence of their own circle of experience; you’re likely doing that in imagining that endorsements don’t influence anyone.

2. Regardless, beside the point: this an unambiguous crossing of a red line by billionaire owners. Not “oh, seems like maybe there’s undue influence;” just ownership nakedly overriding editorial integrity. Caesar crossing the Rubicon.

Paul Cantrell

I also appreciate this:
https://mastodon.online/@xankarn/113370665757537683

But let’s be clear: opinion authors making a polite and eloquent objection are bringing lawn signs to gun fight.

Greg Bell

@inthehands go reverse sabotage!

Paul Cantrell

@ferrix
“seize the means of publication”

Covidiocracy

@inthehands

I'm with you. But this isn't just about people probably losing their jobs. The boss said don't do it, so if someone logs into the CMS and does it anyway, here comes 18 USC 1030(a)(5).

Paul Cantrell

@ampersine
Yeah, you’re right: the legal ramifications make this a trigger not to pull casually.

Sean Murthy

@inthehands I feel similarly:

Sean Murthy (@[email protected])

Editors at Washington Post and LA Times should take a full-page ad in their own (or each other's) papers and get out their endorsement for US president. Problem solved. #journalism #uspol #endorsement #Election2024 #freePress #WaPo #LA_Times

Hachyderm.io (hachyderm.io)

Jima :Compromise_bi_flag:

@inthehands I half expected the Washington Post to be hosted entirely on AWS, which the owner would ostensibly have control over, but at least the web frontend is Akamaied.

(But DNS is at least halfway on AWS, to my original point. )