A robust and balanced press should constitute the bedrock of democracy. When The Washington Post laid off hundreds of journalists and discarded sectors, it pulled the plug on the MENA region, and that a great mistake.
Washington DC, home to the United States Capitol, is the epicenter of the transmission of global news. It is where our president leads, our legislature sits, and every global ambassador makes their second home. It is also where a significant amount of news is made, reported, and shared.
When Jeff Bezos fired Middle East reporters, he consciously closed the door to Israel, Gaza, Iran, Iraq, and Syria to name some of the most pressing places which alone could fill news sites.
The Washington Post is an industry icon, that needs Middle Eastern reporting to be taken seriously. If the business worldview solely looks at spreadsheets and fails to understand that the job of a news organization is to inform the people about local and global events, journalism will die in darkness.
The collapse of The Washington Post signals the failure of the health of the integrity of the paper and the unquestionable reliance on the bottom line. The paper should not lean Left or Right. It should not be guided by politics or money but by the truth.
Role of journalists in a nations survival
If artificial intelligence (AI) replaces the incredible talent of deep-thinking journalists, and clickbait rules, policy will suffer, and America will not be able to protect the nation that promises freedom for all.
Americans need to know when US hostages are taken by Hamas terrorists, such as happened on October 7, 2023.
They also need to be informed that over a span of two years all 251 hostages taken that day were returned, both dead and alive, including two hostages that abducted in previous years. Leaving that mission to the world of cyber-punditry is a frightening alternative.
Americans need to understand oil price fluctuations tied to the Middle East, which have stock market impact.
They need to be knowledgeable about the trade deals the US has with Qatar, Israel, and Saudi Arabia – and why those details matter. They also must be made aware when dangerous captigon drugs are making their way to the US through Syria, and the Iranian regime has slaughtered thousands or tens of thousands of protestors, many with relatives in the United States.
The great cooperative stories in tech and AI, defense, and agriculture will not see the light of day either, nor will the heartwarming pieces on Middle Easterners who have family and companies in the US. Simple reporting cannot replace deep, personal dives.
One day after the billionaire tycoon slashed reporters at The Washington Post, $200 billion in investments were staked to Amazon, where Bezos sits as executive chair of the board of directors. The Post, being one of the oldest American papers, has shifted gears to keep up with the changing media landscape. It is counting on AI and robotics to bring in strong, long-term returns. Much of this is aimed at a younger audience.
The Washington Post was one of the first news outlets to utilize TikTok – opening the door for other legacy media to follow. Its “shorts” are videos aiming to captivate, entertain, or shock, and often created without substance or context.
Catering to the Gen Z community, a current focal point, is key and necessary as it makes up almost one quarter of the market, but not at the expense of challenging them intellectually. This should include hard and soft news, often associated with the Middle East.
The Post should know that a 2023 Portland State University study on how Gen Z and Millennials use public libraries and identify through media showed that these is room for engagement. Charts indicated that about 50 percent still read books, and a similar figure visits news sites.
I understand the business side drives decisions, but critical thinking is needed here and a rethink on the historical importance of The Washington Post.
Coupled with the greater loss of the press-and-policy relationship, which the capital city must sustain, economic growth needs to be measured, taking all factors into account.
You simply cannot be the leading Washington paper without Middle East reporters, let alone a Middle East section, Mr. Bezos. You have competition in DC from Conservatives and Democrats.
You owe your readers loyalty in educating them, and you owe loyalty to all Washingtonians and lovers of news – from both sides of the aisle – who have stood by your paper for generations, since its founding in 1877.
The writer is president and CEO of The Media Line news agency and founder of the Press and Policy Student Program, the Mideast Press Club, and the Women’s Empowerment Program. She can be reached at ffriedson@themedialine.org.