Issues, Etc. The Firing of more than 300 Reporters and Editors at the Washington Post – Terry Mattingly, 2/12/26 (0431)
Feb 12, 2026
Terry Mattingly, senior fellow and longtime media commentator who writes on religion and the press, discusses newsroom economics and culture. He traces how ad-driven online models and audience-first incentives reshape reporting. He examines signs of partisan activist journalism, the Washington Post’s financial struggles and layoffs, and why religion and culture now steer major political coverage.
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Newsrooms Became Audience Stroking Businesses
- Newsrooms now operate as audience-stroking businesses rather than impartial information providers.
- Terry Mattingly argues online ad collapse pushed outlets to preach to their choir, shaping content to retain paying subscribers.
Spot Partisan Media By Their Language
- Look for language cues like shreds, destroys, pummels, or owns to spot partisan activist journalism.
- Terry Mattingly relays Andrew Marr's checklist to distinguish activist sites from genuine news outlets.
Don't Treat Twitter As News Evidence
- Avoid trusting pieces that justify claims solely by 'on Twitter, people are saying' without primary-source reporting.
- Mattingly warns outlets that lean on X/Twitter amplify a noisy subset rather than representative reactions.
