The Washington Post faces widespread layoffs in the coming weeks, prompting multiple teams of reporters to send impassioned letters directly to owner Jeff Bezos, urging him to reconsider shrinking the newsroom.
The White House reporters' letter, obtained by CNN and signed by bureau chief Matt Viser and all seven colleagues, defends sections facing major cuts. They argue for a "diversified Washington Post" and appeal to Bezos with subscriber data: in a typical month, more than half of new subscribers come from stories relying on desks like International and Metro, including recent scoops on U.S. military action in Venezuela and President Donald Trump’s demolition of the East Wing.
“Our colleagues’ work helps lift up our own,” the reporters wrote, emphasizing collaboration across the paper. “If other sections are diminished, we all are.”
Other groups have also appealed directly to Bezos, bypassing publisher Will Lewis. Last weekend, international correspondents warned that robust foreign coverage is essential to the Post’s brand and future success. More than two dozen D.C.-area beat reporters stressed local coverage’s irreplaceable value, noting the local staff has already been cut in half over five years and warning of immeasurable regional impact from further reductions.
Staff fears center on the Post slashing toward irrelevance, with questions about Bezos’s ongoing commitment more than a decade after his purchase.
A Post spokesperson declined comment on the expected layoffs.
Private signals include an internal memo canceling plans to send reporters to the February Winter Olympics, heightening anxiety about broader cuts.