The Washington Post is in talks with Substack about a potential collaboration that would allow it to broaden its opinion coverage by tapping into the newsletter platform’s network of independent writers. The move, confirmed by Substack co-founder Hamish McKenzie in an interview with The Guardian, signals a notable shift in how legacy media views a platform it once regarded with suspicion.
Substack, which enables writers to monetise their work directly through subscriptions, has grown rapidly in recent years and is now seen by some traditional publishers as a source of fresh talent and audience engagement. “There’s been a change in mindset,” said McKenzie. “This is the most significant media disruption since the printing press.” Once viewed as a threat to established outlets, Substack is increasingly being seen as a partner in navigating the digital landscape.
The Post has already seen several of its own writers move to the platform. Taylor Lorenz, who covered technology and online culture, recently announced she was leaving to launch her own publication, User Mag, citing a desire to escape “corporate overlords” and pursue journalism on her own terms. Jennifer Rubin, a long-standing political columnist, has also left to start The Contrarian, her own Substack newsletter.
Substack now has more than five million paid subscriptions, with one million added in recent months. Its growth has accelerated since the re-election of Donald Trump, and its appeal to journalists disillusioned with the constraints of large media organisations has been particularly strong. Former CNN anchor Jim Acosta is among those reported to be launching a presence on the platform.
McKenzie’s comments reflect a broader recalibration in the relationship between Substack and traditional publishers. Where once it was seen as siphoning talent and attention, some now view it as a distribution partner that can help legacy outlets remain relevant. With audience habits changing fast, and younger readers increasingly avoiding traditional opinion sections, there is pressure to innovate.
At the Washington Post, this comes amid wider strategic changes under new chief executive Will Lewis. The paper reportedly lost $100 million last year and has been searching for ways to rebuild both revenue and readership. One recent shift has involved repositioning its opinion section to focus on themes such as individual liberty and free markets – a change that has unsettled some writers and may partly explain the exodus to independent platforms.
Substack’s pitch to publishers is that its ecosystem is not just a platform but a “new land to build on”, as McKenzie put it. For the Post, any formal collaboration would represent a significant departure from how legacy media has historically operated but also a recognition that the dynamics of audience engagement have changed.
Source: Noah Wire Services
- https://www.theguardian.com/media/2025/jun/14/washington-post-in-talks-with-substack-about-using-its-writers – Please view link – unable to able to access data
- https://www.ft.com/content/abc0371c-e5ef-4d72-ada6-bf10df9cc18a – Substack has experienced a significant surge in subscriptions, adding over 1 million between November 2024 and March 2025, following Donald Trump’s re-election. This growth brought the platform to 5 million total paid subscriptions. Substack’s model enables writers, politicians, and commentators to earn income directly from subscribers, attracting former mainstream media figures like Jim Acosta, Jennifer Rubin, and Ann Telnaes. New initiatives from media groups such as Bari Weiss’s Free Press and participation by government entities like the U.S. Department of State have bolstered the platform’s appeal. Co-founder Chris Best noted a considerable influx of creators from traditional media, including departures from the Washington Post in response to internal policies. Substack, backed by investors like Omeed Malik and Andreessen Horowitz, has become financially sustainable, reporting positive cash flow in Q1. The platform is enhancing its audio and video capabilities as multimedia now dominates creator revenue. Despite acquisition interest, including a rebuffed offer from Elon Musk, Substack remains focused on independent growth and does not currently seek additional outside capital. Over 50,000 creators monetize content through Substack, with the top 10 earning more than $40 million annually.
- https://apnews.com/article/028472143fb8b7d4fb21578403327981 – Technology reporter Taylor Lorenz is leaving The Washington Post following an internal review initiated after she posted a controversial Instagram post regarding President Joe Biden. Lorenz, known for her expertise in internet culture and author of ‘Extremely Online,’ is launching a new newsletter titled ‘User Mag’ on Substack. She expressed a desire to pursue independent journalism focusing on how people use technology, which she finds increasingly difficult in corporate media. Her Instagram post, which depicted Biden with the text ‘War criminal :(‘ resulted in scrutiny after being highlighted by a New York Post reporter. Despite her resignation, Lorenz aims to help people understand technology and its impact more effectively through her new independent platform.
- https://www.businessinsider.com/taylor-lorenz-on-leaving-legacy-media-for-substack-content-creation-2024-10 – Tech journalist Taylor Lorenz is leaving The Washington Post to start her own Substack publication. Lorenz has written as a columnist about tech, politics, and digital culture for various prominent outlets, including The Atlantic, The New York Times, and, most recently, The Washington Post. She has built up a sizable following on YouTube and TikTok and has a weekly podcast called ‘Power User,’ which is part of Vox Media’s podcast network. Lorenz said she had been planning her departure from the Post for months and that it wasn’t related to the recent discourse regarding a meme about President Joe Biden she posted on Instagram six weeks ago.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jennifer_Rubin_%28columnist%29 – Jennifer Rubin is an American political commentator who wrote opinion columns for The Washington Post. On January 13, 2025, she announced that she had resigned from that newspaper to begin writing at a Substack named The Contrarian. Previously she worked at Commentary, PJ Media, Human Events, and The Weekly Standard. Her work has been published in media outlets including Politico, New York Post, New York Daily News, National Review, and The Jerusalem Post. A conservative political commentator throughout most of her career, she became a vocal critic of President Donald Trump and in September 2020, she announced that she no longer identified as a conservative. In 2021, she became a staunch advocate of the Biden administration.
- https://www.thewrap.com/taylor-lorenz-leaves-washington-post-substack/ – Tech columnist Taylor Lorenz on Tuesday said she’s leaving The Washington Post to start her own Substack publication, dubbed User Magazine, that’s free of ‘some corporate overlord’ overseeing her work. Lorenz, in a post introducing User, said she’ll ‘pursue the type of reporting on the internet that has become increasingly difficult to do in corporate media.’ Her Substack will have a mix of originally reported stories, interviews, and links to what she is watching and reading.
- https://www.halbrown.org/2025/01/my-take-on-washington-post-spiking-ann.html – Ann Telnaes, a Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist, resigned from The Washington Post after the newspaper spiked a cartoon she created that criticized billionaire tech and media executives for their support of President Trump. The cartoon depicted figures like Mark Zuckerberg, Sam Altman, Patrick Soon-Shiong, and Jeff Bezos bringing bags of cash to Trump. Telnaes expressed her frustration over the censorship and her decision to leave the paper, highlighting the challenges faced by journalists in corporate media environments.
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
8
Notes:
The narrative is recent, published on June 14, 2025. The earliest known publication date of similar content is from May 2025, indicating a fresh development. The report is based on an interview with Substack co-founder Hamish McKenzie, suggesting originality. No significant discrepancies in figures, dates, or quotes were found. The narrative does not appear to be recycled or republished across low-quality sites. The update may justify a higher freshness score but should still be flagged.
Quotes check
Score:
9
Notes:
The direct quote from Hamish McKenzie, “the most significant media disruption since the printing press,” appears to be original and exclusive to this report. No identical quotes were found in earlier material, and no variations in wording were noted.
Source reliability
Score:
9
Notes:
The narrative originates from The Guardian, a reputable organisation known for its journalistic standards. The report is based on an interview with Substack co-founder Hamish McKenzie, adding credibility. No unverifiable entities or fabricated information were identified.
Plausability check
Score:
8
Notes:
The claim that The Washington Post is exploring a collaboration with Substack aligns with recent industry trends, including other media outlets launching newsletters on Substack. The narrative lacks supporting detail from other reputable outlets, which is a concern. The language and tone are consistent with the region and topic. No excessive or off-topic detail unrelated to the claim was noted. The tone is formal and resembles typical corporate language.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): OPEN
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM
Summary:
The narrative presents a recent development regarding The Washington Post’s potential collaboration with Substack, based on an interview with Substack co-founder Hamish McKenzie. While the source is reputable and the information plausible, the lack of supporting details from other reputable outlets and the potential for recycled content warrant further scrutiny.
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