New York Times Loses Subscribers After Revealing Whistleblower Details

Cancellations of subscriptions to The New York Times are growing in the wake of an article the paper published last Thursday, revealing personal details

New York Times Loses Subscribers After Revealing Whistleblower Details

Source: New York Times

Cancellations of subscriptions to The New York Times are growing in the wake of an article the paper published last Thursday, revealing personal details about the identity of a government whistleblower, reports Forbes. The whistleblower, who asked for anonymity, made a formal complaint about a July 25 phone call between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in which President Trump allegedly asked for an investigation into Joe Bidens son, Hunter Biden, according to NBC News. As a result of the call, the House of Representatives has launched an impeachment inquiry to determine if the call represented an abuse of the presidents power for foreign interference in the 2020 election.

In reaction to the controversy, those upset by the release of information started a #CancelNYT campaign on Twitter, encouraging subscribers to cancel their New York Times subscriptions. On September 26, the day the article was published, #CancelNYT received more than 10,000 tweets and was a trending topic on Twitter.

New York Times Loses Subscribers After Revealing Whistleblower Details

Source: Twitter

New York Times Loses Subscribers After Revealing Whistleblower Details

Source: Twitter

New York Times Loses Subscribers After Revealing Whistleblower Details

New York Times Loses Subscribers After Revealing Whistleblower Details

Dean Baquet, executive editor of The Times, defended his decision to publish information about the whistleblower.

The president and some of his supporters have attacked the credibility of the whistleblower, who has presented information that has touched off a landmark impeachment proceeding, Baquet said. The president himself has called the whistleblowers account a political hack job.

We decided to publish limited information about the whistleblower – including the fact that he works for a nonpolitical agency and that his complaint is based on an intimate knowledge and understanding of the White House – because we wanted to provide information to readers that allows them to make their own judgments about whether or not he is credible. We also understand that the White House already knew he was a CIA officer, added Baquet.

In the same article where Baquet is quoted, The Times says, Lawyers for the whistleblower refused to confirm that he worked for the CIA and said that publishing information about him was dangerous.

Aside from the political fallout and the potential danger to the whistleblower, the repercussions for The Times are not clear. According to Forbes, Eileen Murphy, speaking on behalf of The Times said the subscriber losses are not statistically significant, but she did not give details. Frustrated subscribers took to Twitter to show their frustration at having difficulty canceling their subscriptions.

New York Times Loses Subscribers After Revealing Whistleblower Details

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New York Times Loses Subscribers After Revealing Whistleblower Details

Insider Take:

If subscribers did, in fact, leave in droves last week, the damage could be significant – if only temporary. The Times has a goal of reaching 10 million total subscribers by 2025. At the end of the second quarter, The Times reported 4.7 million subscribers. Even if the newspaper lost 10,000 subscribers, that represents less than 1% of total subscribers. At $3.75 per week for 52 weeks, a loss of 10,000 subscribers would represent a loss of $1.95 million in annual revenue. While a significant number, the New York Times Companys total revenue for the second quarter as $436.3 million, so even losing 10,000 subscribers would not hurt it.

The bigger loss for The Times here is one of reputation. Baquet made a judgment call – one that tens of thousands believe was a huge mistake. That could slow down the newspapers progress toward its 2025 goal. In the short term, the subscriber losses are a blip on the radar, but The Times should have its eye on the longer term goal – restoring its reputation and proving to subscribers that they have placed their money and faith in the right media organization.

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