Media critic Erik Wemple slammed his employer, The Washington Post, for passing on publishing a story about an upside-down U.S. flag displayed outside the home of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, which was ultimately reported first by The New York Times.

Alito has said his neighbor put up a "F---Trump" sign and his wife displayed the upside down flag in response. The upside down flag became a symbol for Trump supporters who believed that the 2020 election was stolen. 

Wemple said The Washington Post suffered from a "black eye" after not speaking to Alito's neighbor and passing on pursuing the story. 

The Post "sat back and watched the New York Times nail down a precious exclusive whose epicenter is a leisurely drive from its K Street newsroom," Wemple wrote in an op-ed published on Wednesday.