There’s an old-school newspaper war brewing in DC — and we all stand to benefit, tell me about this news in (https://www.cnn.com/2026/09/09/media/washington-post-sun-notus-dc-newspapers)

The news report highlights the emergence of a high-stakes, traditional media rivalry in the nation’s capital between The Washington Post and a rapidly expanding new competitor, The Washington Sun (formerly known as NOTUS).Here are the key details of the story:

• The Challenger: The digital outlet NOTUS, founded by Politico co-founder Robert Allbritton through the Allbritton Journalism Institute, officially rebranded and launched as The Washington Sun. After initial plans to revive “The Star” moniker were scrapped due to a trademark dispute, the outlet aggressively expanded into a full-scale general-interest newsroom.
• Mass Migration of Talent: Capitalizing on recent restructuring, newsroom cuts, and leadership controversies at The Washington Post, The Sun recruited heavily from its rival. Its 110-person newsroom includes at least 28 former Washington Post veterans, including prominent figures like columnist Dana Milbank, congressional reporter Paul Kane, economics reporter Jeff Stein, food critic Tom Sietsema, sports writer Thomas Boswell, and the team behind Capital Weather.
• Filling the Local News Vacuum: The Post had previously scaled back areas like dedicated local metro coverage and standalone sports reporting. The Sun is directly targeting these gaps by offering robust local reporting, sports, food, culture, and politics, accompanied by a subscription model.
• The Post’s Defense: In response to the growing competition, The Washington Postnavigating a leadership transition and working toward profitability ahead of its 150th anniversaryis emphasizing its ongoing investigative firepower, deep institutional reach, and growing digital subscription base.
• Why the Public Benefits: The brewing rivalry marks a rare revival of competitive, multi-newsroom city reporting. When major newsrooms compete for readers, scoops, and local accountability, it drives reinvestment into community journalism, diversifies perspectives, and holds institutions to higher standards.