The Washington Post laid off hundreds of employees on Wednesday, affecting roughly one-third of its workforce in what former executive editor Martin Baron described as one of the darkest days in the paper's history (via The Washington Post). Staff members, who had feared cuts for weeks, called the decision an "absolute bloodbath" as entire sections were dismantled or scaled back.
Editor-in-chief Matt Murray told employees the layoffs were part of a "strategic reset" aimed at securing the paper's future in an increasingly competitive media landscape. The changes include the dismantling of the current sports desk, cuts to international and local coverage, the elimination of the books desk, and the suspension of the Post Reports daily news podcast, while maintaining a reduced number of foreign bureaus focused on national security.
Criticism quickly turned toward owner Jeff Bezos and publisher Will Lewis, with laid-off staff and union representatives accusing leadership of hollowing out a vital American institution. Baron sharply condemned Bezos's recent editorial decisions and what he called "sickening efforts to curry favor" with President Donald Trump, arguing they had damaged the paper's credibility and cost it hundreds of thousands of subscribers.
Employees affected by the layoffs will remain on payroll until April 10 and receive six months of health insurance coverage. The Washington Post Guild said the cuts were not inevitable and warned they would weaken the paper's mission to hold power to account. The union is organizing a protest outside the newspaper's Washington headquarters on Thursday...