Mr. Pinocchio Himself Is Leaving the Washington Post

Who'll be in charge of the fact-checking duties at the Washington Post going forward? It won't be Mr. Pinocchio himself, Glenn Kessler, anymore, since he has decided to become the latest journalist to accept a buyout from the newspaper, reports the Hill. "Much as I would have liked to keep scrutinizing politicians in Washington, especially in this era, the financial considerations were impossible to dismiss," Kessler posted on social media on Monday, noting that he'd penned or edited upward of 3,000 fact checks during his tenure with the paper.

Per the Wrap, Kessler began his career at the Post in 1998 and landed in the fact-checking role in 2011, where his columns became known for their "Pinocchio" rankings to indicate just how truthful Kessler found a particular claim to be after doing his digging. Kessler, who often took heat from all sides for some of his assessments, is just the latest big name to ditch the paper, with an exodus of sorts beginning after owner Jeff Bezos announced a reorg that included an overhaul of the Post opinion section to focus on the two "pillars" of free markets and personal liberties.

Kessler says he's not sure what will happen next at the Post now that he's stepping away from "the best job in journalism." "I tried to arrange a short-term contract that would have given the editors time to find a worthy successor and allow me to train him or her," he writes online. "I didn't want the Post to have a gap in fact-checking coverage during this fraught period in US history. But we couldn't work out an agreement."