As a veteran retail analyst and notoriously choosy consumer, I‘m always on the hunt for the best deals and the smartest ways to spend my money. So when Amazon bought the Washington Post for $250 million in 2013, I was intensely curious to see how the corporate giant would transform the storied newspaper—and how it would use the paper to boost its Prime membership program.
Now, nearly a decade later, one of the most common questions I hear is: "Is the Washington Post free with Amazon Prime?" The short answer is no, but Prime members do get exclusive benefits and discounts on Washington Post subscriptions.
In this guide, I‘ll dig into the details of exactly how Amazon Prime and the Washington Post work together, share some insider tips on making the most of a Post subscription, and weigh in with my expert opinion on whether this combo subscription is a savvy investment.
Washington Post 101
First, a bit of background. The Washington Post is a major American daily newspaper that was founded way back in 1877. It‘s earned an impressive 69 Pulitzer Prizes over the years and is widely considered one of the leading voices in national politics.
In 2013, Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos bought the Washington Post for $250 million, making it a personal holding rather than an Amazon company. However, in the years since, there have been many synergies and collaboration between the two brands.
Bezos has been clear that his goal is for the Post to become a "national and global" news leader, saying in a 2018 interview that "The Post has the wherewithal, the tools, the software, the engineering, the manpower, the reporting talent to really serve a national and global audience in a big way."
Under Bezos‘ ownership, the Washington Post has undergone a major digital transformation, heavily investing in its website and mobile apps. This has paid off with a surge in online readership. In January 2013, the Post‘s standalone website drew 18.6 million unique visitors, placing it 21st among US news sites. As of May 2021, the Post had risen to third, with over 100 million monthly visitors.
Washington Post Subscription Options
So how does Amazon Prime factor into all this? While a Prime membership doesn‘t entitle you to a free Washington Post subscription, it does come with some nice perks and discounts for Post access.
Here‘s a detailed breakdown of the available Washington Post subscription options, both with and without Amazon Prime:
Digital Only – Amazon Prime Price: $6.99/month ($59/year)
- Unlimited access to washingtonpost.com and Washington Post mobile apps
- Ad-free podcasts and access to exclusive audio content
Digital Only – Regular Price: $10/month ($100/year)
- Unlimited access to washingtonpost.com and Washington Post mobile apps
- Ad-free podcasts and access to exclusive audio content
Digital + Print – Amazon Prime Price: $8.99/month ($99/year)
- All the digital benefits above
- Sunday home delivery of the print edition (ad-free)
Digital + Print – Regular Price: $15/month ($150/year)
- All the digital benefits above
- Sunday home delivery of the print edition (ad-free)
As you can see, Prime members save up to 50% compared to the regular subscription prices. Considering that a standard Prime membership is $119/year, if you‘re a regular Washington Post reader, the subscription discount nearly covers your Prime dues on its own.
Here‘s a quick feature comparison of the two main subscription tiers:
| Feature | Digital Only | Digital + Print |
|---|---|---|
| washingtonpost.com access | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Mobile app access | Included | Included |
| Ad-free podcasts | Included | Included |
| Exclusive audio content | Included | Included |
| Print edition delivery | None | Sunday only |
| Available with Prime discount | Yes | Yes |
The State of News Consumption
To put things in perspective, let‘s take a quick look at some key statistics related to news consumption, Amazon Prime, and the journalism industry:
- As of February 2021, the Washington Post had 3 million digital subscribers, up from 1.5 million in 2017—a 100% increase in just 3 years.
- Across all newspapers, total estimated circulation revenue was down 1.8% to $11.0 billion in 2019, the first decline since 2010.
- Around 1 in 5 US adults (21%) say they get news from podcasts.
- As of December 2020, Amazon had over 142 million Prime members in the US alone.
- On average, Prime members spend $1,400 per year on Amazon, while non-Prime customers spend only $600.
Benefits of a Washington Post Subscription Through Amazon Prime
In my experience, these are the top benefits of accessing the Washington Post through an Amazon Prime membership:
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Significant cost savings – As noted, Prime members can save up to 50% on an annual Post subscription compared to non-members. For avid news readers, that discount could pay for your entire Prime membership cost.
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Seamless subscription management – With a Prime-enabled Post subscription, you can easily manage your account directly through the Amazon interface you‘re already familiar with. No need to keep track of a separate news subscription.
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Bundled billing – Similarly, you‘ll be charged for your Post subscription on the same bill as your other Amazon purchases and Prime membership fees. Nice and tidy!
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Broader Post reach – By integrating with Prime, the Post has the potential to reach a much wider audience of Amazon‘s 100+ million members, supporting the newspaper‘s digital growth strategy. A robust Post is good for democracy.
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Additional Prime perks – Of course, Amazon Prime comes with a slew of other benefits beyond just a Washington Post discount, from free shipping to streaming entertainment to exclusive deals. The Post discount is the cherry on top.
Tips for Maximizing Your Washington Post Subscription
As a Prime member and longtime Post subscriber myself, here are my top tips for getting the most bang for your buck:
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Download the Washington Post app and log in with your Amazon account for seamless access across devices.
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Customize your news alerts in the Post app to stay up-to-date on the topics you care about most. You can choose from breaking news, politics, opinions, sports, and more.
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Check out the Post‘s "Fact Checker" for evidence-based analysis of political claims. It‘s a great way to cut through the noise and misinformation.
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Take advantage of the Post‘s extensive multimedia content, including podcasts, video series, and interactive graphics.
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Consider switching to the Digital + Print plan to get the unique experience of reading the print newspaper along with all your digital access. For just a few dollars more a month, it‘s a nice way to mix things up.
Potential Drawbacks & Controversies
Of course, no corporate deal comes without some potential drawbacks and controversies. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
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Perceived conflict of interest – Some critics have raised concerns about the fact that the Post is owned by Bezos independently, but still benefits from a direct integration with Amazon Prime. There are worries that this could compromise the paper‘s objectivity in covering Amazon itself.
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Political bias concerns – Under Bezos‘ ownership, some perceive that the Washington Post has taken on a more liberal-leaning political stance in its coverage. However, the Post maintains that it is committed to fair, unbiased reporting.
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Not a full Wall Street Journal alternative – While the Washington Post covers business and economics news, it may not be as robust as the Wall Street Journal in this area. I wouldn‘t rely on it as your sole source for financial news.
The Future of the Washington Post
So what does the future hold for the Washington Post and its flagship Prime subscription offering? Here are my predictions:
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Continued investment in digital products and subscriber acquisition: With Bezos at the helm and the backing of the Prime system, I believe the Post will keep aggressively expanding its online reach and digital subscriptions. This is clearly the growth strategy.
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More add-on subscription offerings: I wouldn‘t be surprised to see the Post start offering more a la carte paid newsletter subscriptions, similar to other major outlets like the New York Times. This could allow readers to drill down into niche topics.
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Expanded multimedia partnerships: I expect the Post will pursue more branded content and streaming co-productions like the current Amazon series, "The Post." The massive success of the Times‘ "The Daily" podcast has shown the potential.
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Potential further integration with Amazon products: Right now, the Prime perks are limited to a subscription deal. But it‘s conceivable to imagine the Post being available as an automatic Kindle download for Prime members, or other creative bundles.
The Bottom Line: Is the Post Worth It for Prime Members?
So, after all this analysis, is a Washington Post subscription worth it for Amazon Prime members? As a professional cheapskate, here‘s my take:
If you‘re a regular consumer of national news and value high-quality journalism, then yes, I believe the Washington Post Digital subscription is an excellent deal for Prime members. The price comes out to about $0.20 per day for the Digital Only plan, which is a small price to pay to be an informed citizen, in my book.
Even if you only read a handful of Post stories a month, the Prime discount delivers so much added value, it‘s hard to say no to. Think of it as funding quality journalism at a mini rate.
That said, if you‘re not much of a news hound and prefer to just scan the headlines, this probably isn‘t the subscription for you. I always say, don‘t pay for content you won‘t consume! You may be better off putting that $60/year toward another Prime perk you‘ll actually use, like the Kindle Lending Library or Amazon Music.
At the end of the day, a Washington Post subscription is yet another way Amazon is adding value to its Prime membership, making it that much stickier. It‘s a smart move that genuinely benefits readers. As they say in the news business, that‘s fit to print.
