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The Washington Post is laying off a third of its staff in its newsroom and other departments, a devastating blow to its reputation for journalism.
The beleaguered Post began implementing sweeping cuts on Wednesday, including eliminating its sports department and reducing the number of overseas reporters. The changes were announced by executive editor Matt Murray at a press conference with staff.
Staff cuts are a significant psychological blow at the Post, with the Watergate revelations in the history books and, more recently, President Donald Trump’s heavy-handed coverage of federal workforce cuts and journalism in general.
Employees in the newsroom were told that they would receive emails in one of two categories, stating whether or not the individual’s role had been cancelled. A representative for the Post confirmed that a third of its staff would be cut, without disclosing how many total employees the newspaper has.
Murray told staff that the newspaper’s book division would be closed and the Washington area newsroom and editorial staff would be restructured. His Post Reports podcast will be banned.
Murray admits the cuts will be a shock to the system, but says the goal is to create a post that can grow and grow again.
A Post spokesperson said in a statement: “The Washington Post is taking a number of tough but important steps today for our future.
“These steps are designed to strengthen our footprint and sharpen our focus on delivering exceptional journalism that sets the Post apart and, most importantly, engages our customers.”
Expected activities for weeks
A private company, the Post does not say how many subscribers it has, although the number is believed to be around two million.
The moves had been anticipated for several weeks after rumors surfaced that the Post had told sports staff preparing to cover the Winter Olympics in Italy that they would not be leaving. After the announcement, the Post changed course and said it would send some staff.
The Post’s problems are unlike that of its longtime rival, The New York Times, which has thrived in recent years, largely by investing in ancillary products like its gaming site and wirecutter product recommendations. The Times has doubled its staff over the past decade.
In recent weeks, many members of the Post have appealed directly to the newspaper’s owner, billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. The newspaper has been hemorrhaging subscribers in part because of his decisions — such as dropping Kamala Harris, a Democrat, against Trump, a Republican, in the 2024 presidential election and leading the more conservative, liberal opinion pages.
The Washington Post Guild of Employees urged the public to send a message to Bezos: “Enough is enough. Without Washington Post workers, there is no Washington Post.”