To add some context, one nice thing about the independent model 404 Media has gone with is that they tell us exactly what their motivations are, in their own voices (it’s only four people). On their podcast they’ve been very open about what they want, and maximizing profit is not it. They’ve talked honestly about what it costs to operate, and they’ve said the infinite growth model is not what they want to emulate. They just want to keep doing good journalism, they are not in it to get rich. Since I believe and trust their journalism, I’ll choose to believe them on the business side too, and that’s up to everyone to decide.

I think they’re in touch with their readership enough to know that they’d lose a ton of subscribers if they sold out or started making terrible profit-driven decisions.

But who knows, I don’t know them personally so they could just be really really good liars.

These stealth edits are unacceptable. They are tantamount to the NYTimes shouting about their cowardice from the rooftops. Do they really think people won’t notice? Clearly they underestimate how satisfying it is to catch them in a lie, which is ironic for a newspaper whose reputation has been bolstered by exposing (some) lies.

I thought correction notices were standard practice. It’s not like they can correct the hard copy, so fuck all their online readers I guess? Infuriating, but we shouldn’t expect anything better from them at this point in their downfall.

I get what you’re saying, but in reality this isn’t always possible. If you are directed to do something by your superior and you choose not to comply, disciplinary procedures will start, and will ultimately lead to your termination. Throughout that process, the principled protest that lead to your termination would be muddied and probably forgotten. Resigning on idealistic or principled grounds sends a stronger message than allowing yourself to be fired, and least for those in the administrative state that don’t have highly visible jobs. The result is still the same either way: the action you were protesting was probably carried out anyway by someone less principled than you, but you’re out of a job and few people will ever know why.

If you loudly resign, your message will be received by more people and will be backed and strengthened by your sacrifice. It’s fucked up that it has to go down this way, but when there are two bad choices I’m glad enough people are making the harder one that might benefit more people even at personal expense. For heads of agencies and high level staff it might be more impactful to let yourself get fired, but I think those cases will be the exception (the FBI director, for example, should have let himself get fired).