The Washington Post building. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
On Monday morning, just a few minutes past 9 a.m., staffers on The Washington Post’s opinion desk saw an email slip into their inbox. It was from Adam O’Neal, the little-known editor recently named to take over the prestigious and politically influential section. Staffers didn’t know much about him. They didn’t even know when he was supposed to start. So when his note arrived, simply titled “Looking forward,” they opened it with curiosity—and a fair dose of apprehension.
Indeed, staffers have been on edge ever since O’Neal was abruptly introduced as their new editor in an unconventional, selfie-style video posted to The Post’s communications account on X. Unlike Matthew Continetti, the prominent conservative writer many assumed was likely to be given the job, O’Neal is largely unknown in Washington media circles. His résumé includes a quiet stint at The Economist and time on The Wall Street Journal’s editorial page. Notably, his tenure as executive editor at The Dispatch, the only known role in which he directly managed a newsroom, raised red flags. As we previously reported, within weeks of his arrival, staffers at the conservative publication were so unsettled by his leadership style that they took their concerns to top management.
Which is all to say, The Post's opinion desk has been anxious to learn more about O'Neal and his plans. In his welcome note, O'Neal did his best to hit the right notes. He said it had been a "pleasure getting to know some of you already," that he is "looking forward to meeting others on the team in the coming days," and that he's "beyond thrilled to finally get to work."
"It won’t be easy, but we have a real opportunity to build the most popular, vibrant and influential opinion section in the country," O'Neal wrote.
Of course, it was what came after the pleasantries that really stood out…
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Dotdash Meredith boss Neil Vogel. (Photo by Brad Barket/Getty Images for Fast Company)
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