Washington Post in talks with Substack about using its writers
Source: The Guardian
Sat 14 Jun 2025 06.00 EDT
The Washington Post has held talks with Substack about hosting pieces by its writers, the site’s co-founder has said, as a host of legacy media brands embrace the newsletter platform in the battle for readers. In an interview with the Guardian, Substack’s Hamish McKenzie said he had spoken to the Post about its plans to widen the types of opinion pieces on its website.
He said there had been a “change in mindset” from traditional media, which once viewed Substack with suspicion. He said many now saw the platform as an opportunity to adapt to what he described as “the most significant media disruption since the printing press”. UK news companies including the Daily Mail, the Telegraph and Reach, which publishes the Daily Mirror, have all launched newsletters on Substack.
McKenzie said the Post had approached Substack about hosting its writers. “We’ve talked to them, but there’s no formal agreement or partnership, and they wouldn’t need to talk to us to be able to go out and attempt to do those things,” McKenzie said. “They need to persuade the writers, creators, the journalists, publishers, not us.
“If they’re helping to bring more exposure to those writers and drive audiences to them, if it’s designed in that way – and I’m not 100% sure what the ultimate outcome is going to be – that could be really good for everyone.” Substack has become increasingly influential since its launch in 2017. It allows anyone to publish and distribute digital content, primarily through newsletters, and charge a subscription. It has also been branching out into podcasts and video.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2025/jun/14/washington-post-in-talks-with-substack-about-using-its-writers
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