We would never waste $50 million on a wedding
Here's what we could do with 2% of Bezos’ wedding budget.
Last month, the Washington Post ran the final edition of its print Metro section. Going forward, the local pages will be sharing print space with the national Style and Sports sections. It was the latest in a series of ire-inspiring decisions made by Jeff Bezos, who spent the last days of June tying the knot in a nauseatingly expensive and predictably tacky Venetian wedding.
We’re not here to tell you to cancel your Post subscription. But the ongoing efforts by the world’s fourth-richest man to undermine a crucial local paper shows the need for a new model of news: one where decisions are made in community with readers, and where content is made to match readers’ needs, not profit margins or the whims of the “free market.”
We need you to support The 51st today.
The cuts to local news come at a crucial time for D.C.: The city is in the middle of passing a huge, complicated, and consequential budget. We’re looking at building a new billion-dollar stadium. And the conservative desire in Congress to see D.C. stripped of its autonomy is perhaps stronger than ever.
The 51st has worked hard to meet the moment. Where else are you finding as in-depth, clear, and concise reporting on the D.C. budget as Martin’s weekly Wilson Building Bulletins? But we know our readers deserve even more. Our goal for the end of the summer is to bring Martin on full-time (Yes! He is not a full-time employee for us yet!) And we need your help to get there.
If just 5% of people who canceled their Post subscriptions over the past few months signed up for The 51st, we’d be fully funded for TWO YEARS. Unlike Bezos, who drops $50 million on ONE WEDDING (with those God-awful invitations?), we’re lean, efficient, and conscientious. And we have good taste!
