{"id":2564578,"date":"2026-02-05T13:26:09","date_gmt":"2026-02-05T18:26:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/far-left-journalist-blames-conservatives-after-wapo-layoffs-apparently-we-should-fund-our-own-smear-campaign\/"},"modified":"2026-02-05T13:32:45","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T18:32:45","slug":"far-left-journalist-blames-conservatives-after-wapo-layoffs-apparently-we-should-fund-our-own-smear-campaign","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/far-left-journalist-blames-conservatives-after-wapo-layoffs-apparently-we-should-fund-our-own-smear-campaign\/","title":{"rendered":"Far-Left &#8216;Journalist&#8217; Blames Conservatives After WaPo Layoffs \u2013 Apparently We Should Fund Our Own Smear Campaign"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">32<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ffar-left-journalist-blames-conservatives-after-wapo-layoffs-apparently-we-should-fund-our-own-smear-campaign%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2564578&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>This piece discusses how the Washington Post announced layoffs and acknowledged declines in search traffic and daily output, attributing much of its content to a narrow slice of the audience. It frames a debate sparked by conservative critics who claim there is no serious market for hard news on the right, a view attributed to Alex Kirshner and echoed by some editors who supposedly blame readers for not supporting their newsroom. The author counters that there is indeed a substantial market for hard news among conservatives and that legacy media\u2019s bias and perceived hostility pushed many readers toward alternative online ecosystems, talk radio, and independent outlets. The article traces a broader shift from print to digital, arguing that legacy outlets failed not because conservatives created a market for opposition news, but because they <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/taking-on-disney-fauci-and-the-media-the-secrets-of-rons-success\/\" title=\"Taking On Disney, Fauci, and the Media: The Secrets of Ron\u2019s Success\">alienated large portions<\/a> of the public and clung to outdated business models.It contends that Americans increasingly consume real-time reporting on platforms like X, YouTube, and Rumble, and that the decline of traditional newspapers reflects misaligned incentives and audience trust, not a fault of conservative readers.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_0)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_2)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>When The Washington Post announced sweeping layoffs this week, those in charge at the dying legacy outlet briefly flirted with some honesty.<\/p>\n<p>The paper <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/late-breaking-bloodbath-washington-post-hundreds-fired-entire-divisions-shuttered-sports-desk-gone\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">acknowledged<\/a> that its search traffic has been cut in half over a three-year period. Daily story output had also dropped. The brass even <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/cwyn05d1494o\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">admitted<\/a> that much of the garbage being put out was &ldquo;for one slice of the audience,&rdquo; as the BBC reported.<\/p>\n<p>That should have been the end of the conversation.<\/p>\n<p>But for so many people on the left, self-reflection is impossible.<\/p>\n<p>Alex Kirshner, a contributing writer for the leftist outlet <a href=\"https:\/\/slate.com\/author\/alex-kirshner\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Slate<\/a>, responded to a post on these facts by Max Tani of Semafor with an absurd claim.<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"stnvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() { \t\t\t\t\tfunction loadScript(src) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst script=document.createElement(\"script\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.src=src; \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.async=true; \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.body.appendChild(script); \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\tfunction findPreviousParagraph(selector, x) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst targetElement=document.querySelector(selector); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!targetElement) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Target element not found.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Get all <\/p>\n<p> elements in order as they appear in the document \t\t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphs=Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\"p\"));  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the index of the last <\/p>\n<p> before the target element \t\t\t\t\t\tlet targetIndex=paragraphs.findIndex(p=> p.compareDocumentPosition(targetElement) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_PRECEDING);  \t\t\t\t\t\tif (targetIndex===-1 || targetIndex <x) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Not enough paragraphs before the target element.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\treturn paragraphs[targetIndex - x]; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Set up IntersectionObserver \t\t\t\t\tfunction observeElement(element) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!element) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst observer=new IntersectionObserver( \t\t\t\t\t\t\t(entries)=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tentries.forEach(entry=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tif (entry.isIntersecting) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log(\"Paragraph is now visible:\", entry.target.textContent.trim()); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloadScript(\"https:\/\/embed.sendtonews.com\/player3\/embedcode.js?fk=s28Az7AY\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.disconnect(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t}, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t{ threshold: 0.5 } \/\/ Adjust threshold as needed \t\t\t\t\t\t);  \t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.observe(element); \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the 1st paragraph before #stnvideo and observe it \t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphToObserve=findPreviousParagraph(\"#stnvideo\", 2); \t\t\t\t\tobserveElement(paragraphToObserve); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;There is not a serious market for &lsquo;hard news&rsquo; for conservatives,&rdquo; Kirshner wrote on X.<\/p>\n<p>He added that editors know this, but would rather &ldquo;scold their own employees for not doing an impossible job.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">There is not a serious market for &#8220;hard news&#8221; for conservatives. Murray knows this. Every editor at every <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/politico-ignores-enormous-risks-of-child-transition-to-push-kids-to-castration-instead-of-actual-care\/\" title=\"Politico Ignores Enormous Risks Of Child \u201cTransition\u201d to Push Kids to Castration Instead of Actual Care\">major news publication<\/a> in the country knows this. They just don&#8217;t want to say why and would prefer to scold their own employees for not doing an impossible job <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/bnmPFmbMJU\">https:\/\/t.co\/bnmPFmbMJU<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Alex Kirshner (@alex_kirshner) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/alex_kirshner\/status\/2019079924426895791?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 4, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>That statement is beyond detached from reality.<\/p>\n<p>There absolutely is a market for hard news among conservatives. There always has been. If you&rsquo;re reading this now, that&rsquo;s why.<\/p>\n<p>What there is not a market for is paying to be lied to, sneered at, and treated like an enemy.<\/p>\n<p>For most of America&rsquo;s history, newspapers were edited for Americans. Plural. They landed on doorsteps and job sites. In the last century, many people read more than one paper a day.<\/p>\n<p>They might have argued about opinions, but people more or less trusted the facts.<\/p>\n<p>My own father, a blue-collar conservative, read multiple newspapers while working. I read them, too. Local and national.<\/p>\n<p>I bought my last <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/media-piles-on-boebert-with-claim-from-shadowy-pac-that-falsely-accused-her-of-being-a-prostitute\/\" title=\"Media attacks Boebert over false prostitution accusation by mysterious PAC\">physical newspaper<\/a> somewhere around 2007.<\/p>\n<p>There was a moment when it hit me that I was reading things written by people who hated me, and that I was funding it.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, better reporting was already migrating online.<\/p>\n<p>The broader shift was not by accident. Newspapers became stale and rabidly ideological. The bias stopped hiding. Reporting during the Obama years shattered what little trust remained for millions of Americans.<\/p>\n<p>That is when conservative media exploded.<\/p>\n<p>Not because <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/far-left-journalist-blames-conservatives-after-wapo-layoffs-apparently-we-should-fund-our-own-smear-campaign-2\/\" title=\"Far-Left &#039;Journalist&#039; Blames ... After WaPo Layoffs \u2013 Apparently We Should Fund Our Own Smear Campaign\">conservatives rejected journalism<\/a>, but because legacy outlets like The Washington Post rejected their audience. If they had done their jobs, people like me would not have ours.<\/p>\n<p>Conservatives did not wake up one day itching for alternative media. We were pushed there after growing tired of being the target of a daily, coordinated assault on our values, our families, our faith, and our country.<\/p>\n<p>So we tuned out, changed the dial, and stopped paying for the war on us.<\/p>\n<p>Now, entire media ecosystems exist that <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >make bloated newspaper staffs unnecessary<\/a>. We can watch news unfold in real time on X. We can follow reporters directly on YouTube or Rumble.<\/p>\n<p>We can choose writers who respect the truth and us.<\/p>\n<p>Talk radio is no longer the last refuge. The monopoly the left had on information systems was taken without a single piece of legislation. The market spoke.<\/p>\n<p>Without a business model that forces their product into American homes, newspapers like The Washington Post are failing. And now we are told that the failure is our fault.<\/p>\n<p>Some have even blamed Jeff Bezos for refusing to endlessly subsidize the decline. In reality, he looks like a parent who finally stopped enabling adult children who refuse to change.<\/p>\n<p>Reality is crashing down on legacy media.<\/p>\n<p>A company that writes for a narrow audience, admits it has tunnel vision, and routinely misleads readers is no longer profitable? How is that my problem or my concern?<\/p>\n<p>Conservatives did not ask to become villains in the national media&rsquo;s story, and we are not obligated to bankroll our own smear campaign.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Here\u2019s a paraphrase of the main points:<\/p>\n<p>When The Washington Post announced large layoffs, the leadership admitted that site traffic had fallen by about half over three years and that their daily output had dropped. They even conceded that much of what they published was aimed at just one slice of the audience. Despite this honesty, some on the left reacted defensively. For example, a Slate writer made a claim that there isn\u2019t a real market for hard news among conservatives, suggesting editors knowingly punish staff for failing to do an impossible job.<\/p>\n<p>The author argues that this claim isn\u2019t true. There is, in fact, a market for hard news among conservatives. In the past, newspapers tried to serve a broad American public, landing on doorsteps and job sites, and many readers consumed more than one paper. People trusted the facts, even if they differed over opinions. The shift to online reporting began as reporting improved elsewhere, but it was accelerated by growing bias and hostility in legacy outlets. During the Obama years, reporting damaged trust for many Americans, which helped fuel the rise of conservative media. Conservatives didn\u2019t abandon journalism\u2014they were pushed away by outlets that treated their audience as the enemy. We stopped paying for a war on our values, tuned out, and looked for alternatives.<\/p>\n<p>Today, there are entire media ecosystems that don\u2019t rely on bloated newspaper staffs: real-time updates on social platforms, direct feeds from reporters on YouTube or Rumble, and outlets that aim to respect readers and the truth. Talk radio isn\u2019t the only option anymore. The market spoke, and it did so without new laws or subsidies. If newspapers like The Washington Post can\u2019t adapt financially, it isn\u2019t because conservatives \u201ccaused\u201d their decline\u2014it\u2019s because the traditional model failed to serve a broad, engaged audience.<\/p>\n<p>The author rejects the idea that conservatives want to be villains in the national media narrative or that they owe their survival to subsidizing a smear campaign. In short, a combination of bias, changing consumer habits, and a shift to online, direct-to-reader formats has reshaped the media landscape, and WaPo\u2019s struggles reflect that larger transformation rather than a simple political vendetta<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2564579,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/WashPo.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546,33651],"tags":[4539,56439,5894],"class_list":["post-2564578","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist","category-the-western-journal","tag-conservatives","tag-media-bias-2","tag-politics"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/WashPo.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2564578","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2564578"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2564578\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2564594,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2564578\/revisions\/2564594"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2564579"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2564578"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2564578"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2564578"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}