- As the @51st.news's first full-time reporter, I don't actually disagree with this. We're building something new one brick at a time, but at this point it's simply not a one-for-one replacement for what's being lost at the Post. (Please read and support us, though!)
- People keep saying that this is The 51st, but with respect, I don't think it is. The 51st has (admirably) positioned itself as an outlet to give voice to underserved communities. But the city needs, like, a sports page, an arts page
- The Post had talent and scale; there were enough reporters to cover specific beats everyday and others who could take longer to really dig into big stories. No one else in D.C. has matched that.
- That's not to say that smaller newsrooms and outlets can't do impactful reporting, though. Sometimes there's value in being picky about what you report on, and not having to chase daily stories. @wcp.bsky.social in its heyday was a great example.
- Taking a huge axe to the Post's local staffing will have a big impact on the overall news ecosystem. There's lots of great alternative outlets out there, but still, they don't all have the capacity to pick up the slack that's going to be left by the Post's significant shrinking.
- I like that @51st.news is being built from the ground up, and with support from individual readers. But that we are building something this way makes what Jeff Bezos did to the Post even more shameful. He has endless resources to sustain a great newspaper. He chose not to.
