Washington Post Layoffs: One-Third of Staff to Go

The Washington Post is undergoing one of the most significant restructurings in its modern history. The newspaper moved to sharply reduce costs and refocus on its operations amid declining readership and financial pressure. The changes were announced internally this week. The announcement signaled a major contraction in the scope of the Post’s journalism at a time of rapid transformation across the global media industry.

Executive editor Matt Murray informed employees during a Zoom meeting on Wednesday. He said that roughly one-third of the paper’s workforce would be laid off across departments, although the company declined to provide an exact number. In the meantime, a spokesperson confirmed the scale of the reductions, which will affect domestic and international reporting, editing teams, and several long-standing sections of the paper.

How the Washington Post Layoffs Will Restructure Its Newsroom

According to Murray, the Post will restructure its local news and editing desks. It close books department and significantly reduced the number of journalists stationed overseas. In addition, the sports department will be dismantled “in its current form”. The news was confirmed by sports columnist Barry Svrluga, who cited remarks made during the internal call.

Later in a letter, Murray said that the restructuring is designed to “place The Washington Post on a stronger footing, while also adapting the newsroom to a rapidly changing era of new technologies and evolving user habits”. He also acknowledged that the decision follows “multiple rounds of cost cuts and buyouts”.

Meanwhile, the cuts come as traffic to the Post’s website continues to slide. Data from Comscore shows the outlet recorded 1.15 billion unique visits in 2025, down from 1.23 billion in 2024 and 1.36 billion in 2023. As a result, according to people familiar with the company’s finances, advertising revenue and subscription growth have also come under pressure.

Criticism from Employees and Bezos’ Role in Washington Post Layoffs

Former executive editor Martin Baron warned that the layoffs will significantly weaken the newspaper’s journalistic reach. “The scope of the coverage is going to be dramatically diminished”, he warned. “That’s sad because the newspaper is setting its ambitions low, rather than setting its ambitions high”.

Baron also criticized recent editorial decisions that include the controversial choice not to endorse a presidential candidate ahead of the 2024 election. He said that the move damaged the paper’s reputation and strained trust with readers. Moreover, Baron placed some responsibility on owner Jeff Bezos. He argued that business priorities have increasingly overshadowed the newsroom’s needs. “He let his business interests get in the way of his management of the Post”, Baron said.

The human impact of the cuts has also been immediate. Lizzie Johnson, a foreign correspondent based in Ukraine, revealed on social media that she was among those laid off. “I was just laid off by The Washington Post in the middle of a warzone”, she wrote. “I have no words. I’m devastated.”

Notably, the layoffs proceed despite pleas from staff. In recent weeks, foreign and local correspondents sent letters directly to Bezos. They warned that deep cuts would hinder coverage of major global and political developments. “Don’t eliminate our jobs”, local reporters urged and added that, “Keep the Washington Post a place that covers Washington”.

Bezos, who bought the paper in 2013 for $250 million, had pledged to pursue truth and accountability journalism “no matter the cost.” However, his communications team and Amazon did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The lack of response raised questions about the future direction of one of America’s most influential newspapers.

Web Resources on the Washington Post layoffs

1. BBC.com: Washington Post announces sweeping layoffs
2. NYTimes.com: Washington Post Begins Laying Off More Than 300 Journalists
3. CNN.com: Jeff Bezos remains committed to Washington Post amid brutal layoffs
4. NPR.org: Bezos orders deep job cuts at ‘Washington Post’