Dave Jorgenson, who launched The Washington Post’s TikTok presence in 2019, has announced he’s leaving the paper to start his own media venture.
Dave Jorgenson
Dave Jorgenson, the recognizable face of the newspaper’s TikTok and YouTube channels, is departing after eight years. He’s launching his own video news company, a move that signals confidence in his personal brand and adds to the ongoing shifts within the newsroom.
From TikTok Star to Startup Founder
Jorgenson, who was instrumental in bringing the publication to a younger demographic with his engaging TikTok videos and concise explainers on various topics, is stepping away. His new venture, Local News International, aims to blend news coverage with humor, drawing inspiration from shows like Comedy Central’s *The Daily Show*. The goal is to replicate his success at the newspaper by connecting with audiences where they are, using wit and a human touch, but this time without the backing of a long-established institution.
“I think we’re well positioned to reach an audience that can’t make sense of the current news landscape,” Jorgenson stated Tuesday afternoon. “I’m often reminded — from user comments — that I’m their first source to any given news story. For that reason, I take my news format of being silly but informative very seriously.”
He’s not venturing out alone. Micah Gelman, the paper’s former head of video and Jorgenson’s ex-boss, and Lauren Saks, his deputy, are joining him as co-founders. They will manage brand partnerships and strategy, allowing Jorgenson to concentrate on content creation.
This departure marks another significant exit from a newsroom that has seen numerous high-profile departures following the CEO’s strategic vision and a recent buyout program. Jorgenson himself has expressed reservations about the paper’s current direction, telling The New York Times, “I’m just not convinced they have the best road map right now.”
These critiques emerge as the newspaper navigates substantial challenges, including declining subscriptions and internal disagreements over editorial focus. As Pamela Alma Weymouth, granddaughter of former publisher Katharine Graham, recently wrote, “If *The Washington Post* goes dark under Bezos, then we lose more than a legend. We lose the very thing that makes America a democracy.”
For years, Jorgenson has been a prominent figure in the publication’s modernization efforts. In 2021, the paper celebrated reaching 1 million TikTok followers, a milestone largely attributed to Jorgenson’s prolific output. He produced up to 10 TikToks weekly, merging serious news with comedic elements. This approach helped the paper achieve a noticeable cultural relevance on platforms typically dominated by influencers and trending content.
Now, he hopes his audience will follow him to Local News International.
“I’m really excited to work with brands that fit our ethos,” Jorgenson shared. “Doing this with people I trust — Lauren and Micah — makes that part even more exciting. They can take the wheel there while I focus on the content.”
While Jorgenson’s personal social media followings on TikTok and YouTube are smaller—around 92,000 and 100,000 respectively—compared to the newspaper’s millions, his strategy is clear. He’s betting that in today’s fragmented media landscape, personal connection, tone, and trust are more influential than legacy brand status or sheer audience size.
