Slate News What Next | Jimmy Kimmel Got His Job Back. She Didn’t.
Sep 25, 2025
Karen Attiah, a former Washington Post global opinions editor, dives into the complex landscape of free speech and press freedom. She shares her journey in journalism and discusses the context of her firing due to social media posts addressing political violence. The conversation reveals the pressures faced by journalists post-Jamal Khashoggi's murder and critiques the unequal consequences for conservative voices. Karen highlights the chilling effects of annihilation culture, emphasizing the need for solidarity in protecting free expression.
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Recruiting Jamal Khashoggi
- Karen Attiah recruited Jamal Khashoggi to write for the Post's Global Opinions section.
- Khashoggi later was murdered in the Saudi consulate, which became a pivotal, traumatic moment for her career.
Editorial Shift Felt Like Censorship
- Jeff Bezos's directional changes at the Post narrowed acceptable opinion content toward 'personal liberties' and 'free markets'.
- Attiah sees this as an opaque warning that effectively functioned as internal censorship.
Diminishing Black Voices At The Post
- Attiah highlights that many Black opinion voices were removed from the Post during the overhaul.
- She finds the systematic reduction of Black staff at a paper serving a diverse city both staggering and harmful to journalism.