The Post's Snub

Plus, kindness begets kindness

October 30, 2024

The Flag

Good morning and Happy Wednesday! Here are the Flag’s Top Five stories that should be on your radar to start the day:

  • US: Harris returns to the site of Trump’s Jan. 6 rally to make her closing argument (NPR)

  • World: After reports of nearly 100 dead in north Gaza strike, IDF says incident under investigation (Times of Israel)

  • Business: McDonald’s US sales rebound on value meals, but E. coli outbreak could slow that momentum (AP)

  • Technology: Apple announces new and smaller Mac Mini with first redesign since 2010 (CNBC)

  • Sports: Inside Yankees star Aaron Judge's World Series struggles (ESPN)

BECOME A FLAG BEARER

🦃 A national holiday almost lost to history? Discover how one relentless advocate turned Thanksgiving into an American tradition — with a little help from the presidents! Ready to dive deeper? Click through and subscribe to get the full scoop!

POWERED BY EXPRESS EMPLOYMENT PROFESSIONALS

Land your next great, local job.

Each Express Employment Professionals location is locally owned and operated, offering you connections in your community to your next job. With Express, you’ll have a local recruiter you can meet with and explore job opportunities, whether you are looking for a new career path or your next job. Express helps job seekers in a variety of industries, including customer service, IT, logistics, and manufacturing – they can help you find just about any type of job. With more than 860 locations, you are sure to have an office nearby.

Left: Will Trump Save Us From Trump? Robert Kuttner, American Prospect

Left: Michelle Obama Is Finally Ready To 'Go Low’, Joan Walsh, The Nation

Right: Walz Is a Walking Warning About Harris' Decision-Making, Editorial Board, New York Post

Right: Don't Let This Election Destroy Your Relationships, Editorial Board, Washington Examiner

2024

The Post’s Snub

Today’s Top Story: Last Friday, The Washington Post published and announced that it would not make an endorsement for president. The decision was met with controversy, eventually leading to the paper’s owner, Jeff Bezos, publishing a statement standing behind the decision, explaining, “Americans don’t trust the news media”.

Reporting from the Left: Jeff Bezos defends Washington Post non-endorsement after subscribers flee and staffers resign (CNN)

Reporting from the Right: ‘Americans Don’t Trust The News Media’: Bezos Speaks Out After WaPo Chose Not To Endorse Harris (Daily Caller)

LEFT-LEANING SENTIMENT

Terrible Mistake

The Top Argument From The Left: Post columnists respond, Karren Attiah et al., The Washington Post: “The Washington Post’s decision not to make an endorsement in the presidential campaign is a terrible mistake. It represents an abandonment of the fundamental editorial convictions of the newspaper that we love. This is a moment for the institution to be making clear its commitment to democratic values, the rule of law and international alliances, and the threat that Donald Trump poses to them — the precise points The Post made in endorsing Trump’s opponents in 2016 and 2020. There is no contradiction between The Post’s important role as an independent newspaper and its practice of making political endorsements, both as a matter of guidance to readers and as a statement of core beliefs. That has never been more true than in the current campaign. An independent newspaper might someday choose to back away from making presidential endorsements. But this isn’t the right moment, when one candidate is advocating positions that directly threaten freedom of the press and the values of the Constitution.”

RIGHT-LEANING SENTIMENT

Leftist Meltdown

The Top Argument From The Right: Leftists Melt Down After Washington Post Editorial Board Declines To Endorse Harris, Tristan Justice, The Federalist: “Leftists suffered a meltdown Friday after the editors of the Washington Post announced they would no longer endorse in presidential races starting with this year’s contest between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. … The decision to refrain from making a presidential endorsement this year means Harris will be the first Democrat on the ticket in more than 30 years not to receive the explicit support of the D.C. paper’s editorial board. In September, Harris also became the first candidate for president who failed to receive the endorsement from the International Brotherhood of Teamsters which has endorsed every Democrat since 2000. The Washington Post’s announcement Friday was met with outrage among left-wing readers and columnists, including several who write for the paper. … The Washington Post’s union guild also published a statement that staff were ‘deeply concerned’ about the paper’s decision not to issue a formal endorsement. ‘According to our own reporters and Guild members, an endorsement for Harris was already drafted, and the decision not to publish was made by The Post’s owner, Jeff Bezos,’ the Guild said. ‘We are already seeing cancellations from once loyal readers.’

Honorable Mention #1: The Washington Post Declines to Endorse for President, and Civilization Melts, Jeffrey Blehar, National Review.

FLAG THIS

Where Are Americans Getting Election Coverage?

According to the Pew Research Center, only 35% of U.S. adults primarily rely on television. News websites or apps (21%) and social media (20%) also serve as major sources, while smaller shares turn to search engines (8%), radio (5%), podcasts (5%), and print media (3%). News preferences vary by age: nearly half of adults under 30 (46%) use social media for political news, compared to 23% of those 30 to 49 and just 3% of those 65 and older. Conversely, TV is the top choice for 63% of adults 65 and older, while only 10% of those under 30 say the same, showcasing a generational divide in news consumption habits (Pew Research Center).

Do you believe newspapers, regardless of their ideological leanings, should use their platforms to make definitive endorsements during elections?

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

WATERCOOLER

Ali Ascends, Effortlessly Charming, Pompoms

On This Day in 1974, 32-year-old Muhammad Ali becomes the heavyweight champion of the world for the second time when he knocks out 25-year-old champ George Foreman in the eighth round of the “Rumble in the Jungle,” a match in Kinshasa, Zaire. Seven years before, Ali had lost his title when the government accused him of draft-dodging and the boxing commission took away his license. His victory in Zaire made him only the second dethroned champ in history to regain his belt.

POWERED BY EXPRESS EMPLOYMENT PROFESSIONALS

Each Express Employment Professionals location is locally owned and operated, offering you connections in your community to your next job. With Express, you’ll have a local recruiter you can meet with and explore job opportunities, whether you are looking for a new career path or your next job. Express helps job seekers in a variety of industries, including customer service, IT, logistics, manufacturing – they can help you find just about any type of job. With more than 860 locations, you are sure to have an office nearby.

Reply

or to participate.