The Washington Post has reminded Donald Trump of the importance of a free press by unveiling a new masthead underlining what’s at stake if he talks down the industry.
The newspaper’s slogan, “Democracy Dies In Darkness”, has emerged as the US President has been railling against the media as an “enemy of the American people” who are purveyors of “fake news”.
Although the slogan isn’t explicitly aimed at Trump, the new catchphrase was emblazoned on the august organ’s website and Snapchat Discover stories last week as the furore over the media dominated his astonishing press conference.
Shani George, communications director at the paper, told The Huffington Post US on Wednesday that it was something the long-standing newspaper - which was behind the Watergate scoop - had been discussing internally in terms of its “mission”.
She said: “We thought it would be a good, concise value statement that conveys who we are to the many millions of readers who have come to us for the first time over the last year.”
The Post will roll out the new slogan on its other platforms over the next few weeks, George added.