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The The Washington Post confirmed Wednesday that it has begun large-scale layoffs as part of an aggressive cost-cutting drive, marking a pivotal moment for one of America’s most influential newspapers. The reductions come after weeks of internal warnings, union alerts, and public scrutiny, and reflect the most consequential narrowing of the paper’s editorial ambitions since its acquisition by Jeff Bezos in 2013.
People familiar with the decisions say the cuts primarily affect the sports desk, the Books section, and the company’s podcast unit. The signature podcast Post Reports is being suspended. The international desk is being significantly reduced. The Metro desk — once a cornerstone of the paper’s identity as “For and About Washington” — is being restructured and sharply downsized. According to staff members affected by the move, the Metro desk will shrink from more than 40 journalists to roughly a dozen.
Executive Editor Matt Murray described the layoffs during a newsroom-wide Zoom call as a “strategic reset,” citing what he called “difficult and even disappointing realities.” He emphasized that the decisions were not a reflection of the quality of journalism produced, but rather of financial pressure and audience behavior that leadership believes the organization can no longer ignore.
This reset arrives as the Post faces declining subscriptions, falling advertising revenue, and intensifying competition for digital audiences. At its peak, the paper exceeded 3 million paying subscribers during the Trump-era surge in readership. Current subscription levels are now “far below” that mark, according to people with direct knowledge of internal figures.
That episode became a flashpoint for broader concerns about editorial priorities and shrinking resources. In an open letter dated January 27, journalists from the local desk warned Bezos that their section was at risk of being “decimated” and rendered “unrecognizable,” urging leadership to protect local accountability reporting. The Washington Post Guild echoed those concerns, cautioning that the planned cuts could leave the newsroom smaller than it was when Bezos purchased the paper — while still losing more money.
Roughly a year earlier, the Post laid off about 4% of its staff, though those reductions did not hit the newsroom. This time, the newsroom itself is the primary target. Murray confirmed that the sports desk will be shuttered as a standalone operation, with a limited number of writers retained for feature-style coverage. The Books section will close entirely, ending a long-running cultural franchise.
The Post declined to confirm precise figures about the number of employees affected, total newsroom headcount, or current subscription levels. Bezos has not commented publicly on the layoffs.
Now, former editors and current staff say the paper appears to be repositioning itself as a more tightly focused federal power publication, emphasizing U.S. politics, national security, and government oversight. Several former editors have said privately that the strategy resembles competition with specialized outlets such as Politico and Punchbowl rather than a broad-based rivalry with The New York Times.
That strategic uncertainty has fueled internal frustration. Senior editors told colleagues they were largely excluded from designing the restructuring plan. Murray, who previously served as editor-in-chief of the Wall Street Journal, reportedly pushed back against even deeper cuts, according to people familiar with the discussions.
Publisher and CEO Will Lewis, who took over leadership after previously running the Wall Street Journal, told staff at a June 2024 meeting that the Post had lost $177 million over two years and that “not enough people” wanted to read its journalism. Since then, he has not held another newsroom-wide town hall, despite rolling out initiatives centered on artificial intelligence, personalized news briefings, and experimental coverage units. Those efforts have yet to stem losses that remain in the tens of millions of dollars annually.
The layoffs come amid a broader reckoning across the U.S. media industry. Legacy newspapers, digital outlets, and broadcast networks alike are confronting structural declines in advertising and audience attention. The Los Angeles Times has enacted multiple newsroom layoffs in recent years, including a 6% reduction in mid-2025. BuzzFeed shut down its news division in 2023. Vice Media filed for bankruptcy the same year. Business Insider recently cut more than 20% of its workforce while accelerating AI adoption.
Against that backdrop, Bezos’ stewardship of the Post is facing renewed scrutiny. When he bought the paper from the Graham family in 2013 for $250 million, he framed the purchase as a civic investment supported by long-term innovation. He funded a massive expansion, growing the newsroom by roughly 85% at its peak. Some former executives argue that even after these cuts, a smaller Post could still dominate coverage of Washington if guided by a clear editorial vision.
People familiar with the decisions say the cuts primarily affect the sports desk, the Books section, and the company’s podcast unit. The signature podcast Post Reports is being suspended. The international desk is being significantly reduced. The Metro desk — once a cornerstone of the paper’s identity as “For and About Washington” — is being restructured and sharply downsized. According to staff members affected by the move, the Metro desk will shrink from more than 40 journalists to roughly a dozen.
Executive Editor Matt Murray described the layoffs during a newsroom-wide Zoom call as a “strategic reset,” citing what he called “difficult and even disappointing realities.” He emphasized that the decisions were not a reflection of the quality of journalism produced, but rather of financial pressure and audience behavior that leadership believes the organization can no longer ignore.
This reset arrives as the Post faces declining subscriptions, falling advertising revenue, and intensifying competition for digital audiences. At its peak, the paper exceeded 3 million paying subscribers during the Trump-era surge in readership. Current subscription levels are now “far below” that mark, according to people with direct knowledge of internal figures.
Olympic coverage controversy and staff warnings foreshadowed the cuts
The layoffs follow weeks of visible turmoil inside the newsroom, including a high-profile reversal over Winter Olympics coverage. As first reported by The New York Times, the Post initially informed more than a dozen journalists that it would not send them to Italy to cover the upcoming Winter Games, less than three weeks before the event. After backlash from prominent sports journalists and public criticism, the decision was reversed again, and the paper now plans to send four reporters.That episode became a flashpoint for broader concerns about editorial priorities and shrinking resources. In an open letter dated January 27, journalists from the local desk warned Bezos that their section was at risk of being “decimated” and rendered “unrecognizable,” urging leadership to protect local accountability reporting. The Washington Post Guild echoed those concerns, cautioning that the planned cuts could leave the newsroom smaller than it was when Bezos purchased the paper — while still losing more money.
Roughly a year earlier, the Post laid off about 4% of its staff, though those reductions did not hit the newsroom. This time, the newsroom itself is the primary target. Murray confirmed that the sports desk will be shuttered as a standalone operation, with a limited number of writers retained for feature-style coverage. The Books section will close entirely, ending a long-running cultural franchise.
The Post declined to confirm precise figures about the number of employees affected, total newsroom headcount, or current subscription levels. Bezos has not commented publicly on the layoffs.
A narrower mission as the Post pivots toward federal power coverage
The cuts signal a fundamental shift in how the Post sees its future. For decades, the newspaper balanced deep local reporting in the Washington region with national and international coverage aimed at policymakers, diplomats, and global business leaders. Under former executive editor Marty Baron, the Post expanded aggressively, investing heavily in investigative reporting and accountability journalism during President Trump’s first term — a period that also fueled unprecedented subscriber growth.Now, former editors and current staff say the paper appears to be repositioning itself as a more tightly focused federal power publication, emphasizing U.S. politics, national security, and government oversight. Several former editors have said privately that the strategy resembles competition with specialized outlets such as Politico and Punchbowl rather than a broad-based rivalry with The New York Times.
That strategic uncertainty has fueled internal frustration. Senior editors told colleagues they were largely excluded from designing the restructuring plan. Murray, who previously served as editor-in-chief of the Wall Street Journal, reportedly pushed back against even deeper cuts, according to people familiar with the discussions.
Publisher and CEO Will Lewis, who took over leadership after previously running the Wall Street Journal, told staff at a June 2024 meeting that the Post had lost $177 million over two years and that “not enough people” wanted to read its journalism. Since then, he has not held another newsroom-wide town hall, despite rolling out initiatives centered on artificial intelligence, personalized news briefings, and experimental coverage units. Those efforts have yet to stem losses that remain in the tens of millions of dollars annually.
The layoffs come amid a broader reckoning across the U.S. media industry. Legacy newspapers, digital outlets, and broadcast networks alike are confronting structural declines in advertising and audience attention. The Los Angeles Times has enacted multiple newsroom layoffs in recent years, including a 6% reduction in mid-2025. BuzzFeed shut down its news division in 2023. Vice Media filed for bankruptcy the same year. Business Insider recently cut more than 20% of its workforce while accelerating AI adoption.
Against that backdrop, Bezos’ stewardship of the Post is facing renewed scrutiny. When he bought the paper from the Graham family in 2013 for $250 million, he framed the purchase as a civic investment supported by long-term innovation. He funded a massive expansion, growing the newsroom by roughly 85% at its peak. Some former executives argue that even after these cuts, a smaller Post could still dominate coverage of Washington if guided by a clear editorial vision.
