Katharine Graham in the context of "Watergate scandal"

The Washington Post (locally known as The Post and, informally, WaPo or WP) is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington metropolitan area and has a national audience. In 2023, the Post had 130,000 print subscribers and 2.5 million digital subscribers, both of which were the third-largest among American newspapers after The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. In 2025, the number of print subscribers had declined to below 100,000 for the first time in 55 years.

The Post was founded in 1877. In its early years, it went through several owners and struggled both financially and editorially. In 1933, financier Eugene Meyer purchased it out of bankruptcy and revived its health and reputation; this work was continued by his successors Katharine and Phil Graham, Meyer's daughter and son-in-law, respectively, who bought out several rival publications. The Post's 1971 printing of the Pentagon Papers helped spur opposition to the Vietnam War. Reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein led the investigation into the break-in at the Democratic National Committee, which developed into the Watergate scandal and the 1974 resignation of President Richard Nixon. In October 2013, the Graham family sold the newspaper to Nash Holdings, a holding company owned by Jeff Bezos, for US$250 million.

Eugene Isaac Meyer (October 31, 1875 – July 17, 1959) was a prominent American banker, businessman, financier, and newspaper publisher. His most notable public service role was as the fifth chairman of the Federal Reserve, a position he held from 1930 to 1933. Meyer purchased The Washington Post in 1933, and was its publisher from 1933 to 1946, with the paper staying in his family throughout the rest of the 20th century. He was the first president of the World Bank Group from June to December 1946.

His daughter, Katharine "Kay" Graham, took the Post over in 1963 and remained its titular head until her death in 2001.

Philip Leslie Graham (July 18, 1915 – August 3, 1963) was an American newspaperman. He served as publisher and later co-owner of The Washington Post and its parent company, The Washington Post Company.

During his years with the Post Company, Graham helped The Washington Post grow from a struggling local paper to a national publication and the Post Company expand to own other newspapers as well as radio and television stations. He was married to Katharine Graham, a daughter of Eugene Meyer, the previous owner of The Washington Post.