Yesterday, after showing the world how cool his cool rocket is, Bezos told CBS This Morning’s Charlie Rose that big things are happening at The Washington Post, which he bought in 2013: “We’re working on becoming the new paper of record, Charlie.”
This morning, the Post declared itself “America’s publication of record” and offered readers a free three-month subscription.
Yesterday Bezos said his goal was for WaPo to become the “new paper of record”. Well, apparently that was quick: pic.twitter.com/vSUBev3awc
— Alastair Coote (@_alastair) November 25, 2015The trial subscription page walks it back a bit—it thanks readers for “making the Washington Post #1!” but also indicates that #1 means “America’s fastest-growing news source”—but Bezos has plenty of reasons to be happy about his paper (of record). He told Rose that “just this month The Washington Post passed The New York Times in terms of number of viewers online.” And yesterday, Esquire asked if the Post’s editor, Marty Baron (recently portrayed by Liev Schreiber in Spotlight), was “the best news editor of all time,” while listing his numerous accomplishments. Which means that the Post may be the best paper, with the best editor, in the country.
Still, there’s something uncouth about giving yourself a title. If Kristaps Porzingis can’t give himself a (terrible) nickname, then the Post can’t declare itself the new “publication of record.” Sorry.