Washington Post Fires Columnist Karen Attiah Over Social Media Posts

Lead The Washington Post has dismissed opinion columnist Karen Attiah, accusing her of “gross misconduct” and “unacceptable” social media activity in the wake of right-wing commentator Charlie Kirk’s assassination, Attiah revealed in a Substack post on Monday.

Nut Graf Attiah, the paper’s former global opinions editor and its last full-time Black opinion writer, says her measured criticisms of America’s political violence and racial double standards prompted the abrupt termination, raising concerns about editorial independence and diversity in opinion journalism.

Key Details

  • Attiah condemned America’s ritualized responses to gun violence and political assassinations in posts on the Bluesky platform.
  • The Post cited concerns over colleague safety and editorial impartiality as reasons for her firing.
  • Attiah rejects the allegations as baseless and says she was not given an opportunity to discuss concerns before her termination.

Background and Reaction

In her Substack article, Attiah said she criticized the “hollow, cliched calls for ‘thoughts and prayers’” after shootings in Utah and Colorado, and pointed to racial empathy gaps that protect white perpetrators. She quoted Charlie Kirk’s own remarks about Black women to illustrate systemic bias, the only direct reference she made to the slain activist.

“The Post accused my measured Bluesky posts of being ‘unacceptable,’ ‘gross misconduct’ and of endangering the physical safety of colleagues-charges without evidence, which I reject completely as false.”

Diversity and Editorial Independence

Attiah joined The Washington Post in 2014, founded its Global Opinions section, and hired dissenting voices such as Jamal Khashoggi. She argues that her firing reflects a broader purge of Black voices from media and institutions.

Industry Implications

  • Editorial Standards: The Post’s social media policy requires journalists to avoid posts that could call editorial independence into question.
  • Opinion Section Shift: Recent leadership changes and buyouts have reshaped the Post’s opinion roster toward more conservative viewpoints.
  • Free Speech Debate: Media observers note the case highlights tensions between free expression and perceived professional obligations.

What’s Next

Attiah plans to continue her work via independent platforms, including her Resistance Studies Series and an online course on race and media set to begin in October. She asserts that institutional cancellations will not silence her voice.

Published September 15, 2025