The Washington Post has experienced a significant wave of departures among its journalists and staff in recent months, described by some as an "exodus" that has raised concerns about the newspaper's editorial depth, diversity, and long-term viability.
The turmoil, ongoing since mid-2024, stems from a combination of financial struggles, strategic shifts under owner Jeff Bezos, and internal dissatisfaction with leadership decisions, particularly those of CEO and Publisher Will Lewis.
Scale of Departures: Over 100 staff members, including high-profile reporters, columnists, editors, and specialized teams, have left the Post since November 2024, with many accepting voluntary buyouts offered as part of a cost-cutting initiative. The buyouts, known as the Voluntary Separation Program (VSP), offered generous severance packages—ranging from nine to 18 months of base pay based on tenure—prompting significant uptake.
Notable Departures:
Opinion Section: Prominent columnists such as Jonathan Capehart (Pulitzer Prize winner), Eugene Robinson, Ruth Marcus, David von Drehle, Philip Bump, Perry Bacon Jr., Catherine Rampell, and Michele Norris have either resigned or taken buyouts.
Marcus resigned in March 2025, citing editorial constraints after her column criticizing Bezos’s overhaul of the opinion section was killed. Norris left in October 2024, calling the non-endorsement of a presidential candidate a “terrible mistake.”
Political Reporters: High-profile political journalists including Ashley Parker and Michael Scherer (joined The Atlantic), Josh Dawsey (returned to The Wall Street Journal), Tyler Pager (returned to The New York Times), Leigh Ann Caldwell (joined Puck), and Dan Balz (veteran political reporter) have departed.
Editors and Executives: Key figures like Matea Gold (managing editor, joined The New York Times), Phil Rucker (national editor, joined CNN), David Shipley (opinion editor, resigned after Bezos’s directive), and Sally Buzbee (former executive editor) have left.
Black Journalists: A notable number of Black journalists, including Pulitzer Prize winners Jonathan Capehart and Toluse Olorunnipa (joined The Atlantic), as well as Krissah Thompson, have departed, prompting concerns from the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) about newsroom diversity. Karen Attiah noted in July 2025 that she was the last Black staff columnist in the opinion section.
Other Notable Exits: Pulitzer-winning cartoonist Ann Telnaes resigned in January 2025 after her satirical cartoon depicting Bezos and other media leaders submitting to President-elect Trump was rejected. Investigative reporter Rosalind Helderman and sports journalists Dan Steinberg and Sally Jenkins also left.
The Post reported significant financial losses in 2024, prompting cost-cutting measures. The buyout program was designed to reduce payroll without forced layoffs, but it led to a significant loss of institutional knowledge. In January 2025, the Post laid off approximately 100 employees in its business division (4% of staff), though the newsroom was spared.