Wed Jan 15 20:30:00 UTC 2025: ## Washington Post Veteran Jennifer Rubin Launches New Publication, “The Contrarian,” Citing Concerns Over Editorial Independence

**Washington, D.C.** – Longtime Washington Post opinion columnist Jennifer Rubin has resigned from the newspaper, citing concerns about its editorial independence and launching a new publication, “The Contrarian,” with former White House ethics chief Norm Eisen. The Substack-based venture, described as pro-democracy rather than simply anti-Trump, aims to combat what Rubin and Eisen call an “authoritarian threat” to American democracy.

Rubin’s departure follows a string of high-profile exits from the Post in recent months. She specifically cited several controversies, including Amazon founder and Post owner Jeff Bezos’s blocking of an editorial board endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris and a $1 million donation to Donald Trump’s inaugural fund. The Post’s refusal to publish a satirical cartoon by Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Ann Telnaes, depicting Bezos and others kneeling before Trump, further fueled Rubin’s decision.

“The Post, along with most mainstream news outlets, has failed spectacularly at a moment that we most need a robust, aggressive free press,” Rubin stated. The Contrarian, with a tagline of “Not owned by anybody,” is a direct response to what Rubin perceives as undue influence by billionaires on media outlets.

The new publication, which launches Monday, will offer some free content but will charge a $7 monthly subscription for full access to columns, podcasts, and videos. It boasts a diverse group of approximately two dozen contributors, including experts in election integrity and the January 6th Capitol attack. Eisen will serve as publisher, while Rubin will be editor-in-chief. Humorist Andy Borowitz will also contribute.

While acknowledging the challenges faced by digital startups, Rubin points to the significant number of Washington Post subscribers who canceled their subscriptions following the Harris endorsement controversy as a potential base for The Contrarian. The publication’s goal is to provide “reported opinion and commentary” on political and cultural issues, appealing to a wide audience.

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