Two D-C Stars To Fight It Out In Court

The historic Washington Star newspaper, which ceased printing more than 40 years ago, has resumed publication under media executive Dovid Efune, owner of The New York Sun.

The revival comes just weeks after the politics website NOTUS announced it would rebrand as The Star and broaden its coverage to include Washington-area local news and sports. Both outlets intend to compete directly with The Washington Post, owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, which recently cut one-third of its staff amid financial losses.

“We’re reviving one of the great and epic rivalries of American journalism,” Efune said in an interview. “For decades, The Star was The Washington Post’s fiercest competitor and an important editorial and ideological counterweight in the press in our nation’s capital.”

The competition has already escalated into legal action. On Thursday, Efune filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against NOTUS over its planned use of the “Star” name. The moves arrive during a difficult period for the media industry, marked by widespread layoffs, declining search traffic, and pressure to grow paid subscriptions. The Washington Post laid off more than 300 of its roughly 800 journalists in February after reporting annual losses exceeding $100 million and scaling back metro and sports coverage.

Efune said the revived Star has begun publishing on Substack. A custom website is expected to launch within two months, with a weekend print edition targeted for the end of the year. He is interviewing candidates and plans to hire up to 50 full-time journalists and contributors.Until an editor-in-chief is named, the new Star will operate under the oversight of The New York Sun’s newsroom. 

The original Washington Star was a conservative-leaning afternoon paper that published for 128 years before filing for bankruptcy and shutting down in 1981. The Washington Post acquired its former headquarters and printing presses in the bankruptcy sale.