To the extent that anyone should care that a few people at The Washington Post are losing their jobs, it’s only to assess the reaction from their colleagues at the paper. Those colleagues just inadvertently reminded the public how delusional and detached from reality they can be, while at the same time swearing you should trust them to tell the truth.
Reports started circulating last week that big layoffs were set to hit the Post, largely in its sports and foreign affairs departments. It’s the type of thing that happens in business all the time, but is treated like mass murder by those affected when it happens to a major news publication. Anyone about to lose his job could be forgiven for pleading his best case to keep it, but if you ever find yourself in such a situation, God forbid, do yourself a favor and do the opposite of what the White House reporting team at the Post did.
In a letter to the paper’s owner, multi-gazillionaire Jeff Bezos, a list of eight writers once again captured the arrogant, entitled, graceless attitude so common among content creators in the dying news media business. “Dear Jeff,” they wrote, addressing their boss, to whom they were presumably about to present a major request, with shocking familiarity. The letter opened with an explanation that even as White House reporters, they rely on other departments to inform their coverage and that “our colleagues’ work helps lift our own.” The writers then informed “Jeff” that they are “all available to discuss this by phone or in person, too,” seemingly unaware that, by nature of being Bezos’ employees, they are available to him whenever he pleases, not the other way around.
The letter went on to say every section of the paper, from Metro to Arts, is crucial in some way or another to the Post’s political reporting, though the missive ultimately concluded with the authors maintaining that they are “clear-eyed about the financial challenges” their publication faces.
What was missing, however, was any specific request or proposal. Not even an acknowledgement that they are and have always been at the mercy of Bezos’ generosity, given that the Post has lost “hundreds of millions of dollars in recent years,” according to The New York Times.
No, only a letter, deliberately leaked to the public, with a declaration that “a diversified Washington Post helps us …” and a lot of words about how important the White House reporters profess their colleagues to be to their own work.
Imagine having absolutely no leverage and then addressing the person who holds your very livelihood in his hands as though you’re his equal. And then not even having the humility to directly ask for what you want. Bezos holds all the cards, and these ingrates send him a letter to let them know they’re “available” should he want to hear about how indispensable they think they are.
Again, this is only important in that it reinforces the fact that the content creators who still work in the dying media don’t see themselves the way a normal person does. They see themselves as special, above the rest, and never required to consider the interests and motives of people who aren’t in their same class. They shouldn’t have to directly ask for more money. They shouldn’t have to get on their knees. They shouldn’t have to publicly recognize that without Bezos’ charity they can’t pay their bills.
There isn’t a group of people who deserve the public’s trust less.
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