Steve Martin

It's causing hundreds of thousands of subscribers to abandon their subscriptions. And that's, I think, deeply concerning. My worry is that he's prioritizing his other business interests over the business interests of the Washington Post and, more importantly, the principles of the Washington Post.

Right. Well, I've always known you, Dan, to put the sharpest possible point on things. So and it does offend my principles. It does offend. More importantly, it offends the principles of The Washington Post. You know, there are the principles of The Washington Post date back to 1935. They're affixed to the wall as you walk into the newsroom of The Washington Post.

Right. Well, I've always known you, Dan, to put the sharpest possible point on things. So and it does offend my principles. It does offend. More importantly, it offends the principles of The Washington Post. You know, there are the principles of The Washington Post date back to 1935. They're affixed to the wall as you walk into the newsroom of The Washington Post.

The first principle is to tell the truth as nearly as the truth may be ascertained. And then there's principle number five, which says that, you know, this, you know, that you're supposed to serve the public and not the interests of the individual, of the owner, of the commercial interests of the owner.

The first principle is to tell the truth as nearly as the truth may be ascertained. And then there's principle number five, which says that, you know, this, you know, that you're supposed to serve the public and not the interests of the individual, of the owner, of the commercial interests of the owner.

So I worry when it appears that the owner is prioritizing his other commercial interests over the public. over the core principles and the core mission of The Washington Post. And by the way, I mean, the core principle is is articulated quite well in the motto of The Washington Post. But what Bezos himself has called a mission statement, not a motto, which is democracy dies in darkness.

So I worry when it appears that the owner is prioritizing his other commercial interests over the public. over the core principles and the core mission of The Washington Post. And by the way, I mean, the core principle is is articulated quite well in the motto of The Washington Post. But what Bezos himself has called a mission statement, not a motto, which is democracy dies in darkness.

And that means that this news organization ought to stand up for democracy in every possible way. Most recently, you know, with this decision not to run a wide range of opinions and on its in its opinion pages on in this opinion section digitally, to me is fundamentally undemocratic. You know, the core principle, a fundamental principle of a democracy is free expression.

And that means that this news organization ought to stand up for democracy in every possible way. Most recently, you know, with this decision not to run a wide range of opinions and on its in its opinion pages on in this opinion section digitally, to me is fundamentally undemocratic. You know, the core principle, a fundamental principle of a democracy is free expression.

And and newspapers like The Post have traditionally honored free expression by allowing a wide range of opinions on their opinion pages and in their opinion section. And to sort of say that really the only opinions that will be allowed here that will be welcomed here are opinions that are that are like mine, I think is fundamentally undemocratic.

And and newspapers like The Post have traditionally honored free expression by allowing a wide range of opinions on their opinion pages and in their opinion section. And to sort of say that really the only opinions that will be allowed here that will be welcomed here are opinions that are that are like mine, I think is fundamentally undemocratic.

I think there's a simple answer to that, and the answer is yes. Cool.

I think there's a simple answer to that, and the answer is yes. Cool.

Yeah, I think you've answered your own question here. Okay.

Yeah, I think you've answered your own question here. Okay.

Is that a slurp? Wow, I'm beginning to feel like I'm back in the newsroom with you, Dan.

Is that a slurp? Wow, I'm beginning to feel like I'm back in the newsroom with you, Dan.

I thought I had left this world.

I thought I had left this world.

Miranda?