Video may have killed the radio star, but phones killed print media. At least that’s according to the final cover image of the Washington Post Express, its free daily commuter paper, which folded today.
Like a murder victim using its final breaths to point a finger at its killer, Express used its last cover to explain that it was murdered by the D.C. Metro system’s decision to install Wi-Fi. Its final cover points its ink-stained finger and yells, “J’accuse!” at all the iPhone-wielding hoards who suddenly didn’t need to read the paper anymore because they could troll Reddit or, say, get news in real time instead. “Hope you enjoy your stinkin’ phones,” read the headline. (I hope you’re all ashamed of yourselves.)
The Washington Post has killed off Express, its free daily, citing decreased readership since the DC Metro added wi-fi. Here's the cover of its final issue. pic.twitter.com/8xX3d3e1Wm
— Laurel Wamsley (@laurelwamsley) September 12, 2019
Apparently, the cover wasn’t the only place that the Express editors decided to shame phone users. Twitter user @enviroMHint points to the paper’s EyeOpeners section, where they continued their guilt trip, writing: “Apparently, everyone riding the D.C. Metro now looks at their phones instead of reading print newspapers.”
The Washington Post Express mentioned itself in the EyeOpeners feature of its final edition. pic.twitter.com/QJAZXmz7MZ
— Michael Hechter (@enviroMHint) September 12, 2019