The man behind The Washington Post’s “Pinocchios” is leaving the paper without anyone to fill his shoes.
Glenn Kessler, the editor of The Fact Checker, announced Monday he has taken a buyout, ending his lengthy career at the Post.
“After more than 27 years at The Washington Post, including almost 15 as The Fact Checker, I will be leaving on July 31, having taken a buyout,” Kessler wrote on his Facebook page. “Much as I would have liked to keep scrutinizing politicians in Washington, especially in this era, the financial considerations were impossible to dismiss.”
Kessler said he wrote or edited more than 3,000 fact checks as editor and chief writer of The Fact Checker.
“When I started in 2011, there were only a handful of fact-checking organizations around the world, and I have been thrilled to watch the movement expand across the globe. So many of these brave and diligent fact checkers have become good friends,” Kessler wrote.
“My fact checks were routinely the most-read articles on The Post’s website. I had my detractors, from both the left and right, but many readers appreciated my efforts to sort out the truth in political rhetoric,” he added.
Kessler revealed he attempted to stay on a contract basis long enough for his bosses to find a successor for a smooth transition, to no avail.
“I didn’t want The Post to have a gap in fact-checking coverage during this fraught period in U.S. history. But we couldn’t work out an agreement,” he wrote.
Washington Post executive editor Matt Murray appeared onboard with hiring a new fact checker in an exchange with Kessler, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Kessler’s next chapter will involve him writing books, and he’s open to freelance and consulting work.
“In 2018, when the Fact Checker team was compiling a database of more than 30,000 Trump claims, I told the New York Times that ‘I have the best job in journalism,'” Kessler wrote. “I still believe that, and I’m sorry to leave without a replacement lined up. But it’s the right time for me. I hope The Post finds someone to carry on this important project.”
The Washington Post did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital‘s request for comment.
Murray implemented a new round of the paper’s Voluntary Separation Program (VSP) in May, hoping that most veteran staffers would be enticed by the exit offer. The program is set to end this week.
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According to a VSP document previously viewed by Fox News Digital, nine months of base pay would be given to staffers employed for 10-15 years, 12 months of base pay for 15-20-year veterans, 15 months of base pay for 20-25-year veterans and 18 months for anyone who has worked at the Post for more than 25 years. All of them would also receive 12 months of pay credit in their Separate Retirement Account (SRA).
Other high-profile writers who’ve taken the buyouts include columnists Jonathan Capehart, Catherine Rampell, Philip Bump and Joe Davidson.
Also fueling the exodus from the editorial pages was the initiative by the Post’s billionaire owner Jeff Bezos to promote “personal liberties and free markets” and vowing not to publish pieces opposing those principles.
Bezos’ directive, which was announced in February, led to the immediate resignation of Post opinion editor David Shipley. Others resigned in protest and a mass cancellation of subscriptions by liberal leaders rocked the paper. The paper faced similar backlash last fall when Bezos blocked the paper’s endorsement of then-Vice President Kamala Harris shortly before the election.
Earlier this month, Washington Post CEO Will Lewis sent a memo to staff issuing an ultimatum for those contemplating adapting to the paper’s new direction.
“The moment demands that we continue to rethink all aspects of our organization and business to maximize our impact,” Lewis wrote in the memo obtained by Fox News Digital. “If we want to reconnect with our audience and continue to defend democracy, more changes at The Post will be necessary. And to succeed, we need to be united as a team with a strong belief and passion in where we are heading.”
“I understand and respect, however, that our chosen path is not for everyone,” Lewis continued. “That’s exactly why we introduced the voluntary separation program. As we continue in this new direction, I want to ask those who do not feel aligned with the company’s plan to reflect on that. The VSP is designed to support you in making this decision, give you the ability to weigh your options thoughtfully and with less concern about financial consequences. And if you think that it’s time to move on to a new chapter, the VSP helps you take that next step with more security.”
