Megan Greenwell
@greenwell.bsky.social
I write magazine articles and books about how systems affect people. I wrote Bad Company: Private Equity and the Death of the American Dream: https://bookshop.org/a/109816/9780063299351.
Pinned
Why a College Fighting for Survival Is Slashing Econ and Physics Majors
At Albright in Pennsylvania, the new president is cutting programs, selling art and real estate, and vowing not to hire anyone with tenure. Is this the way forward for liberal arts colleges?
www.bloomberg.com
For a couple of years now, I've been fascinated with what's happening at small liberal arts colleges, which are running out of money for reasons unrelated to Trump funding cuts. Businessweek let me go deep on the problems, and one college that's trying to blaze a new trail.
Reposted by Megan Greenwell
Spoke with @davidenrich.bsky.social and @greenwell.bsky.social about current threats to press freedom and what ought to be done about them. Thanks to @columjournreview.bsky.social for hosting, and to all of the audience members who asked such great questions. www.cjr.org/kicker/the-l...
The letter of the law, and the law in practice.
Experts discuss the risks posed to journalism as the courts test the limits of press freedom law.
www.cjr.org
February 12, 2026 at 5:28 PM
Spoke with @davidenrich.bsky.social and @greenwell.bsky.social about current threats to press freedom and what ought to be done about them. Thanks to @columjournreview.bsky.social for hosting, and to all of the audience members who asked such great questions. www.cjr.org/kicker/the-l...
Dream come true: my book is a finalist for the New York Public Library’s Helen Bernstein Book Award. And what company! @irincarmon.bsky.social @brian-goldstone.bsky.social @karenhao.bsky.social I try not to put too much stock in awards, but this one feels pretty cool.
www.nypl.org
February 12, 2026 at 3:11 PM
Dream come true: my book is a finalist for the New York Public Library’s Helen Bernstein Book Award. And what company! @irincarmon.bsky.social @brian-goldstone.bsky.social @karenhao.bsky.social I try not to put too much stock in awards, but this one feels pretty cool.
Reposted by Megan Greenwell
as always, @greenwell.bsky.social's "The Adults In The Room" is relevant and illustrative here www.megangreenwell.com/the-adults-i...
February 11, 2026 at 4:36 PM
as always, @greenwell.bsky.social's "The Adults In The Room" is relevant and illustrative here www.megangreenwell.com/the-adults-i...
Reposted by Megan Greenwell
@greenwell.bsky.social remains undefeated
Amazing a whole story about Eddie Bauer filing for bankruptcy can leave out the fact that it was owned by private equity from 2009 to 2021 www.nytimes.com/2026/02/10/b...
Eddie Bauer Files for Bankruptcy
www.nytimes.com
February 11, 2026 at 4:53 AM
@greenwell.bsky.social remains undefeated
Okay WHO is going in with me on this $350,000, 31,000-square-foot manuscript library in Buffalo… map.realtyonegroup.com/commercial-s...
February 10, 2026 at 5:27 PM
Okay WHO is going in with me on this $350,000, 31,000-square-foot manuscript library in Buffalo… map.realtyonegroup.com/commercial-s...
Reposted by Megan Greenwell
After reading @greenwell.bsky.social I'm convinced that private equity is nothing but a pyramid scheme adjacent. Enriching a few by breaking exponential people under them.
Bad Company
* KIRKUS BEST NONFICTION BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2025* *ONE OF AV CLUB'S BEST BOOKS OF 2025*
\"[An] indictment of an industry that has cannily tilted the...
www.harpercollins.com
February 10, 2026 at 3:53 PM
After reading @greenwell.bsky.social I'm convinced that private equity is nothing but a pyramid scheme adjacent. Enriching a few by breaking exponential people under them.
now we are six. happy birthday to my best bud Theo.
February 10, 2026 at 3:00 PM
now we are six. happy birthday to my best bud Theo.
Reposted by Megan Greenwell
Yeah I AM currently reading @greenwell.bsky.social’s book on private equity, why do you ask?
bookshop.org/p/books/bad-...
bookshop.org/p/books/bad-...
February 8, 2026 at 3:10 AM
Yeah I AM currently reading @greenwell.bsky.social’s book on private equity, why do you ask?
bookshop.org/p/books/bad-...
bookshop.org/p/books/bad-...
Reposted by Megan Greenwell
Read Bad Company by @greenwell.bsky.social. It's one story you probably know (Toys r us) and three that you might not know all on the extent of private greed and shortsightedness. Could be a huge bummer but she finds great stories of people banding together to reclaim the mission from the business.
February 7, 2026 at 3:05 PM
Read Bad Company by @greenwell.bsky.social. It's one story you probably know (Toys r us) and three that you might not know all on the extent of private greed and shortsightedness. Could be a huge bummer but she finds great stories of people banding together to reclaim the mission from the business.
Reposted by Megan Greenwell
“In a world where you can choose to be so many things, he chose to be kind. For the rest of our lives, we will be trying to be more like him.” Yes.
goddammit Dan's mom made me weepy all over again about how good my pal was and how stupid it is that he's gone.
A Message From Dan McQuade's Mom | Defector
Dan’s mom here. While I hope to thank everyone more formally, for so many of you it won’t be possible; I don’t know how to reach you. So I thought I’d reach you the way my Dan did—through the online w...
defector.com
February 6, 2026 at 10:26 PM
“In a world where you can choose to be so many things, he chose to be kind. For the rest of our lives, we will be trying to be more like him.” Yes.
goddammit Dan's mom made me weepy all over again about how good my pal was and how stupid it is that he's gone.
A Message From Dan McQuade's Mom | Defector
Dan’s mom here. While I hope to thank everyone more formally, for so many of you it won’t be possible; I don’t know how to reach you. So I thought I’d reach you the way my Dan did—through the online w...
defector.com
February 6, 2026 at 10:22 PM
goddammit Dan's mom made me weepy all over again about how good my pal was and how stupid it is that he's gone.
Reposted by Megan Greenwell
What we loved about Dan McQuade:
What We Loved About Dan McQuade | Defector
Today is Dan McQuade’s funeral. To celebrate our friend, we wanted to give the people he worked with a place to explain what they loved so much about him. If you would like to support Dan’s widow Jan,...
defector.com
February 5, 2026 at 2:04 PM
What we loved about Dan McQuade:
Having worked with and learned from Marty Weil, it seems to me that if you're laying him off, you're functionally getting out of covering local news entirely. He was the beating heart of the Metro section. Interns used to try to get night cops duty just so they could hang out with him.
Sixty years of excellent work at the Washington Post; a beloved figure there. The Bezos team just laid him off. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/05/b...
He Was Laid Off at The Washington Post After Working There 60 Years
www.nytimes.com
February 5, 2026 at 3:23 PM
Having worked with and learned from Marty Weil, it seems to me that if you're laying him off, you're functionally getting out of covering local news entirely. He was the beating heart of the Metro section. Interns used to try to get night cops duty just so they could hang out with him.
I *love* freelancing. I have done the best work of my career as a freelancer. But the idea that several hundred new freelancers, newsletter writers, and worker-owned co-ops is remotely feasible, much less a replacement for The Washington Fucking Post, is insane.
A lot of people cannot just start a paid newsletter or become freelancers to sustain their careers. The sports, metro, and international desks did work that requires *team* resources, like legal checks, documents, access to archives, and long-term beat experience.
February 4, 2026 at 4:06 PM
I *love* freelancing. I have done the best work of my career as a freelancer. But the idea that several hundred new freelancers, newsletter writers, and worker-owned co-ops is remotely feasible, much less a replacement for The Washington Fucking Post, is insane.
I started my career at the Washington Post, first on Metro and then on International. I’m just heartbroken that this essay is relevant to yet another of my former employers.
February 4, 2026 at 2:35 PM
I started my career at the Washington Post, first on Metro and then on International. I’m just heartbroken that this essay is relevant to yet another of my former employers.
Reposted by Megan Greenwell
Tapping the @greenwell.bsky.social sign www.megangreenwell.com/the-adults-i...
The Adults in the Room
Megan Greenwell's 2019 article about G/O Media and Jim Spanfeller's mismanagement of Deadspin
www.megangreenwell.com
February 4, 2026 at 2:22 PM
Tapping the @greenwell.bsky.social sign www.megangreenwell.com/the-adults-i...
Reposted by Megan Greenwell
Sixers hold a moment of silence for Dan McQuade.
January 30, 2026 at 12:04 AM
Sixers hold a moment of silence for Dan McQuade.
Interviewing @bobbatzjr.bsky.social, who spent three years on strike from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette after 30 years at the paper, was a real joy. Hearing how he and his colleagues went from strike mode to employee mode and now to "save the paper" mode is a ride. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a...
January 29, 2026 at 9:08 PM
Interviewing @bobbatzjr.bsky.social, who spent three years on strike from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette after 30 years at the paper, was a real joy. Hearing how he and his colleagues went from strike mode to employee mode and now to "save the paper" mode is a ride. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a...
You can feel Dan's giddiness in every story, a sense of "I can't believe I get to do this for a living." His writing was great because it was so much fun to read; it was fun to read because he so clearly had fun writing it. A good lesson for everyone who makes stuff for public consumption, I think.
I think the key that unlocks Dan was his desire to share the things he loved with other people. Wouldn’t be the worst way to honor him if we make the effort to do that for the things we love, too. defector.com/dan-mcquade-...
Dan McQuade, 1983–2026 | Defector
Dan McQuade, our friend and colleague, died this week at the age of 43. He is survived by his wife and young son. At the end of 2024, Dan was diagnosed with neuroendocrine cancer. The news of his diag...
defector.com
January 29, 2026 at 2:41 PM
You can feel Dan's giddiness in every story, a sense of "I can't believe I get to do this for a living." His writing was great because it was so much fun to read; it was fun to read because he so clearly had fun writing it. A good lesson for everyone who makes stuff for public consumption, I think.
Dan was maybe the smartest, funniest, weirdest, most joyful person I’ve ever worked with or counted as a friend. I already miss him so much. Just a heartbreaking loss.
January 29, 2026 at 1:43 AM
Dan was maybe the smartest, funniest, weirdest, most joyful person I’ve ever worked with or counted as a friend. I already miss him so much. Just a heartbreaking loss.
Never been more proud to be an Episcopal priest's kid.
The Episcopal Church has put together a very impressive toolkit for protesting, including tips for clergy in particular. Truly inspiring. This is how Christians ought to be engaging the moment.
www.episcopalchurch.org/protesting-f...
www.episcopalchurch.org/protesting-f...
January 28, 2026 at 8:18 PM
Never been more proud to be an Episcopal priest's kid.
Going after the guy who attacked her, shoving away her bodyguard who's twice her size, and then "We'll stay resilient in the face of whatever they might throw at us"? Is that... someone in the Democratic party with a backbone??
REP. OMAR after being attacked with liquid: “We will continue! These fucking assholes are not gonna get away with this! Here is the reality people like this ugly man don’t understand — we are Minnesota Strong. We’ll stay resilient in the face of whatever they might throw at us.”
January 28, 2026 at 3:01 AM
Going after the guy who attacked her, shoving away her bodyguard who's twice her size, and then "We'll stay resilient in the face of whatever they might throw at us"? Is that... someone in the Democratic party with a backbone??
Reposted by Megan Greenwell
what are we reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaading?
January 27, 2026 at 7:11 PM
Reposted by Megan Greenwell
This was a good essay www.megangreenwell.com/the-adults-i...
The Adults in the Room
Megan Greenwell's 2019 article about G/O Media and Jim Spanfeller's mismanagement of Deadspin
www.megangreenwell.com
January 26, 2026 at 3:59 AM
This was a good essay www.megangreenwell.com/the-adults-i...
attn: everyone asking why athletes aren’t speaking out on Minneapolis, please meet two-time MVP, three-time world champion, three-time Olympic gold medalist Breanna Mackenzie Stewart.
January 25, 2026 at 6:57 PM
attn: everyone asking why athletes aren’t speaking out on Minneapolis, please meet two-time MVP, three-time world champion, three-time Olympic gold medalist Breanna Mackenzie Stewart.