Washington Post says it will cut a third of its staff
The Washington Post is laying off one-third of its staff in its newsroom and other departments.
The troubled US newspaper began implementing large-scale cuts on Wednesday, including eliminating its sports department and reducing the number of journalists it sends abroad.
The changes were announced by managing editor Matt Murray in a Zoom meeting with staff.
The staff reductions are a serious blow to the Post, which is known for the Watergate revelations and, more recently, its aggressive coverage of U.S. President Donald Trump’s federal workforce cuts and journalism in general.
Staff in the newsroom were told they would receive emails with one of two subject lines letting them know whether the person’s role had been eliminated.
A Post representative confirmed that a third of the staff would be laid off, without specifying the newspaper’s total headcount.
Murray said the newspaper’s book department will be closed and the news department and editorial staff in the Washington, D.C. area will be restructured.
The Post Reports podcast will be suspended.
Murray acknowledged the cuts would be a shock to the system but said his aim was to create a Post that could grow and thrive again.
“The Washington Post is taking a series of difficult but decisive actions today that represent a significant company-wide restructuring for our future,” a Post spokesperson said in a statement. he said.
“These steps are designed to strengthen our foundations and sharpen our focus on delivering distinctive journalism that sets The Post apart and, most importantly, engages with our customers.”
The Post, a private company, does not disclose how many subscribers it has but the number is believed to be around two million.
The moves were expected to last for several weeks after news broke that the Post had told sports workers covering the Winter Olympics in Italy that they would not be going.
After the situation became public, the Post reversed course and said it would send a limited number of staff.
The Post’s problems stand in contrast to its longtime rival, the New York Times, which has thrived in recent years largely thanks to investments in spinoffs such as its Games site and Wirecutter product recommendations.
The Times has doubled its staff in the last decade.
