The Washington Post has reversed its earlier decision and will now send four journalists to cover the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, Italy, after initially announcing it would send none.
The change, reported Monday, comes just days after the newspaper's managing editor informed sports staff on January 24 that no contingent would travel to the Games—despite the paper having already secured 14 credentials, booked flights, and spent roughly $80,000 on lodging and other expenses.
This reversal follows public backlash and surprise from current and former Post journalists, who highlighted the paper's longstanding tradition of robust Olympic coverage. In recent years, the Post typically deployed 10 to 20 staffers for Winter Games and sent a record 26 to the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics.
While the decision to send four journalists restores some on-the-ground presence, it represents a significant reduction from original plans and prior Olympic deployments. The Post confirmed it would field a small team, though details on the journalists involved or specific coverage focus have not been released.
The Milano Cortina Games, marking the 100th anniversary of the Winter Olympics, run from February 6 to 22, 2026, featuring events across northern Italy in disciplines like alpine skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, and the debut of ski mountaineering. The Post's scaled-back approach reflects wider industry trends in cost-cutting amid declining ad revenue and shifting reader habits, even as major events like the Olympics remain popular.