The Washington Post began widespread layoffs on Wednesday, significantly shrinking its newsroom and affecting all departments, according to a recording of an internal call shared with Reuters.
Executive Editor Matt Murray informed staff that the cuts would span international, editing, metro and sports desks, coming just days after the 145-year-old newspaper scaled back its coverage of the 2026 Winter Olympics amid mounting financial losses.
“For too long, we’ve operated with a structure that’s too rooted in the days when we were a quasi-monopoly local newspaper,” Murray said during the call. “We need a new way forward and a sounder foundation.”
One Post reporter, speaking on condition of anonymity, described the situation as a “bloodbath.”
Journalists affected by the layoffs include Amazon beat reporter Caroline O’Donovan, Cairo Bureau Chief Claire Parker, and members of the newspaper’s Middle East team, according to posts on X by the reporters.
In a statement, the newspaper said it was undertaking “difficult but decisive actions” as part of a major restructuring effort. “These steps are designed to strengthen our footing and sharpen our focus on delivering the distinctive journalism that sets The Post apart and engages our customers,” it said.
Murray told staff that all departments were impacted, adding that politics and government would remain the paper’s largest desk. He also said the sports department would be closed “in its current form.”
The Washington Post, owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, has struggled financially in recent years. In 2023, it offered voluntary separation packages across the company amid losses reported at around $100 million. Last year, the paper announced job cuts in several business units, though it had said at the time that newsroom roles would not be affected.
The Washington Post Guild criticised the layoffs, saying on X that if Bezos was no longer willing to invest in the paper’s mission, “The Post deserves a steward that will.”
In a separate letter to Bezos last week, White House correspondents warned that the paper’s most impactful reporting relied heavily on collaboration with teams now at risk and stressed the importance of maintaining a diverse newsroom during financial challenges.
Tensions between the paper’s ownership and staff have grown in recent years. Journalists publicly criticised Bezos after the Post declined to endorse a candidate in the November 2024 US presidential election, a decision that reportedly led to more than 200,000 digital subscription cancellations.
The paper also revamped its opinion section last year, shifting its focus toward personal liberties and free markets.
Commenting on the layoffs, National Press Club President Mark Schoeff Jr said the move was “a devastating setback for the journalists affected and for the journalism profession as a whole.”