What happened to a newspaper that used to be synonymous with journalistic integrity?

I'm sure you've seen the news: The Washington Post abruptly banned our Fire Elon Musk ad.

Pamela, I'm sure you've seen the news: The Washington Post abruptly banned our Fire Elon Musk ad. [1] If you haven't heard, our ad demanding Trump fire Elon Musk – which was all set to run front and center on Tuesday's White House edition – was canceled at the last minute without any explanation. This is the same Washington Post that prides itself on hard-hitting investigative journalism – the same paper that exposed Nixon's crimes during Watergate. And it's the same Post that's put out high-quality reporting on the path of destruction Trump and Musk are leaving across our federal government. [2] But today, they've proven that even they are unwilling to directly challenge those in power. So, like me, you're probably scratching your head asking yourself: What happened to a newspaper that used to be synonymous with journalistic integrity? It's billionaire owner, Jeff Bezos. Bezos – who had a front-row seat at Trump's inauguration and reportedly blocked the Post from endorsing a presidential candidate for the first time in thirty years – [3] has made it clear he's more concerned with his bottom line than with his newspaper's journalistic duty. Fortunately, The Washington Post's cowardice didn't go unnoticed. With your help, we turned it into a media firestorm – with pictures of our ad in major news outlets and community message boards, seen by far more people than if they would've just run our ad! [4] If institutions meant to serve the people won't hold the powerful accountable, then we'll do it ourselves. That's why we're using this moment to launch a massive public outreach campaign – to make sure every American knows just how Trump and Musk are making their lives worse. Hundreds of thousands of Common Cause members – maybe even you – have already contributed your voices, your time, and your money to back our Fire Elon Musk campaign. Just this week, we shipped out over 10,000 "Fire Elon Musk" stickers to keep this drumbeat going. And we're taking advantage of the media's increased attention to our campaign to keep our ranks growing. But we're not done yet. In the coming weeks, we're going to scale this campaign up – taking the ad The Washington Post refused to local papers, buying billboards in key Senate states, and delivering petitions directly to members of Congress. So, if you're ready to help us fight for a democracy where people like you and me call the shots – NOT billionaires like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, will you step up to support our efforts with a contribution of $3 or more today? Chip in $3 now >> We have big plans and with you by our side, we can do anything. Thank you, The team at Common Cause [1] https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/17/business/washington-post-ad-trump-musk.html [2] https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/02/16/doge-irs-access-taxpayer-data [3] https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/25/washington-post-endorsement-president-election [4] https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/02/19/fire-elon-musk-ad-washington-post-common-cause/78953644007/ Common Cause is a leader in fights that matter at the local, state, and national level. Your support helps us fight special interests, hold elected officials accountable, and build a better democracy for all Americans. DONATE Interested in volunteering with our Action Team? Sign up here. 805 15th Street, NW, Suite 800 Washington, DC 20005 202.833.1200 https://commoncause.org Common Cause's work to defend and strengthen our democracy is powered by members like you. You can use this link to unsubscribe or let us know you'd like to receive fewer emails from us.

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