The Washington Post plans to run a full-page ad Friday drawing attention to the death of columnist Jamal Khashoggi, part of a broader push that publisher Fred Ryan told POLITICO would continue “until meaningful action is taken” over Saudi Arabia’s role in the killing.
The ad, which a Post spokesperson said is a precursor to a larger advertising campaign planned for early 2019, features an image of the Saudi journalist with his face illuminated by a candle and reads, “A life is gone. The principles of free expression endure.”
In a year-end memo to staff Wednesday, Ryan blistered the U.S. administration over its efforts to brush past Khashoggi’s killing, which U.S. intelligence believes was ordered by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
“Many people are frustrated and feel betrayed by the Trump administration’s apparent effort to sweep Jamal’s killing under the rug and its failure to stand up for America’s values,” Ryan wrote in the memo.
“They can be assured that The Washington Post will not rest until justice is served on those who ordered Jamal’s killing, those who carried it out, and those who continue to try to cover it up.”
President Donald Trump said earlier this week that Saudi Arabia had been “a very good ally” and that standing by the kingdom “certainly” equates to standing by the crown prince.
In response to Trump’s position, Ryan said in a statement to POLITICO that the Post would continue to highlight the killing. “We’re going to continue to use our platforms and encourage others to use theirs until meaningful action is taken,” he said.
Ryan does not control the Post’s opinion or news coverage — which operate independently — so the main levers at his disposal are public statements and advertising campaigns. Since Khashoggi’s October death inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Ryan has condemned the Trump administration’s response multiple times in stark language. The newspaper has also run a handful of previous ads.
Two days before Thanksgiving, Trump issued a statement saying that “we may never know all of the facts” about Khashoggi’s murder, including whether bin Salman had knowledge of the murder, saying “maybe he did and maybe he didn’t.”
Following a Senate briefing by CIA Director Gina Haspel last week, however, senators said they were confident the crown prince was involved. Referencing Khashoggi’s reported dismemberment by bone saw inside the consulate, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) declared, “There’s not a smoking gun, there’s a smoking saw.”
On Monday, Time named Khashoggi one of its people of the year, placing his image on one of four covers and dubbing him a “guardian” of truth.
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