Non-Newsroom Layoffs At The Washington Post

The Washington Post has started laying off roughly 4 percent (100 staffers) of its work force, the company said on Tuesday, as the newspaper struggles to stem millions of dollars in annual losses.

The NY Times reports the cuts will affect fewer than 100 people across The Post’s business divisions, which include its advertising sales, marketing and print products teams. They will not affect The Post’s newsroom, which two years ago reduced its work force as part of a voluntary buyout program that eliminated 240 jobs.

The cuts are part of a plan to adjust to changing business conditions, the company said in a statement.

“The Washington Post is continuing its transformation to meet the needs of the industry, build a more sustainable future and reach audiences where they are,” the statement said. “Changes across our business functions are all in service of our greater goal to best position The Post for the future.”

The bulk of the eliminated positions are coming from The Post’s advertising division. Johanna Mayer-Jones, The Post’s chief advertising officer, said in a memo to employees on Tuesday that 73 positions under her purview were being eliminated, and that The Post would “prioritize connecting advertising clients to our subscriber base.”

There were further reductions elsewhere at The Post. Kathy Baird, The Post’s chief communications officer, said in a memo that the public relations team was repositioning itself to focus on promoting talent and would “stop the dedicated practice of publicity for our journalism.” Those changes resulted in layoffs on her team.

The Washington Post has struggled to turn a profit in recent years, as its digital subscription business has failed to offset declining print revenue and the cost of its newsroom. Will Lewis, the publisher of The Post, said in a meeting last year that in 2023, The Post lost $77 million and had suffered a falloff in its digital audience since 2020.