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Columnist Karen Attiah Fired at The Washington Post 

September 16, 2025

Karen Attiah, the last full-time Black opinion columnist at The Washington Post, announced on her Substack that she was fired last week after 11 years with the publication. Her termination follows a pattern of departures of Black staff from senior positions at The Post, including Monica Norton and Krissah Thompson who left during a recent buyout round. Attiah claims she was fired over a social media post related to conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was shot and killed on September 10 at Utah Valley University.

Who is affected

  • Karen Attiah, the last full-time Black opinion columnist at The Washington Post
  • The Washington Post's Black readership, particularly in Washington DC where Black residents make up 40% of the population
  • Other Black journalists and staff at The Washington Post who have recently departed
  • The Washington Post as an institution and its stated commitment to free speech
  • The Washington Post Guild, which has condemned the firing

What action is being taken

  • The Washington Post Guild is publicly condemning Attiah's firing on social media
  • Attiah is sharing her perspective on the situation through her Substack publication
  • Various former Black staffers are departing The Washington Post through firings or buyouts
  • The situation is being contextualized as part of a broader trend of Black voices being removed from institutions

Why it matters

  • Attiah's firing represents the loss of the last full-time Black opinion columnist at The Post in a city with a 40% Black population
  • The situation highlights concerns about diversity in legacy media, particularly at The Washington Post
  • The firing raises questions about journalistic freedom of expression and social media policies at news organizations
  • The article frames this as part of a larger pattern of Black voices being purged from academia, business, government, and media
  • It signals what the article describes as a rightward shift in legacy media

What's next

  • No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint

Columnist Karen Attiah Fired at The Washington Post