Reporter Taylor Lorenz exits Washington Post after investigation into Instagram post

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Technology reporter Taylor Lorenz said Tuesday that she is leaving The Washington Post, less than two months after the newspaper launched an internal review following her social media post about President Joe Biden.

Lorenz, a well-regarded expert on internet culture, wrote a book “Extremely Online” last year and said she is launching a newsletter, “User Mag,” on Substack.

“I will pursue the type of reporting on the internet that has become increasingly difficult to do in corporate media,” Lorenz wrote on Substack to introduce her new project.

Lorenz attended a White House conference in August and had posted a picture of herself to some of her followers on Instagram, with Biden in the background and the text “War criminal :(” After a New York Post reporter posted a screenshot, Lorenz posted a message saying “you people will fall for any dumbass edit someone makes.”

NPR subsequently wrote that four people with direct knowledge of the post confirmed that it was authentic. The Post said it would review the matter; Lorenz has not written for the paper since then, the Post wrote on Tuesday.

“We are grateful for the work Taylor has produced at The Washington Post,” a newspaper spokesperson said. “She has resigned to pursue a career in independent journalism, and we wish her the best.”

The Post did not immediately address the findings of its review. Lorenz was on staff at the Post for 2.5 years.

Previously, Lorenz was a technology reporter at the New York Times.

Lorenz wrote Tuesday that she hopes her new Substack will focus on how people use technology, as opposed to “corporate earnings and boardroom conflicts.”

“By going independent, I hope to do more of what I love: helping people understand the world around them, inspiring them to build a better internet, holding power to account and, hopefully, having a lot more fun,” she wrote.