The Washington Post Shrinks

The Washington Post, owned by Amazon's Jeff Bezos, laid off approximately one-third of its entire staff on Wednesday in a major restructuring, affecting all departments and resulting in hundreds of journalists losing their jobs.

The cuts drastically reduce the newsroom—more than 300 of roughly 800 journalists—while eliminating or severely shrinking key areas including the entire sports section, books coverage, several foreign bureaus (including much of the Middle East team), metro/local reporting, and the flagship podcast. Executive Editor Matt Murray announced the reductions during a company-wide call, describing them as painful but necessary to adapt from a "quasi-monopoly local newspaper" structure to a more sustainable model amid ongoing financial losses and shifting reader habits.

The newspaper's spokesperson confirmed the one-third reduction across the company, while the Washington-Baltimore News Guild reported "hundreds" of newsroom staffers impacted. 

Affected journalists include Amazon beat reporter Caroline O'Donovan, Cairo Bureau Chief Claire Parker, and other Middle East correspondents and editors.

The Post framed the moves as "difficult but decisive actions" to strengthen its position, sharpen focus on distinctive journalism, particularly politics and government coverage, which Murray said will remain the largest desk and central to subscriber growth, and better engage customers.

The layoffs follow years of challenges for the Post and the broader industry, including steep circulation declines (from 250,000 average daily in 2020 to 97,000 in 2025), persistent losses (including $100 million in recent years), and subscriber backlash over decisions like not endorsing a candidate in the 2024 presidential election.

Bezos acquired the newspaper in 2013 for $250 million, pledging to preserve its journalistic tradition without interfering in day-to-day operations, though he has emphasized inevitable changes. Recent tensions include clashes with staff over editorial shifts toward "personal liberties and free markets," Bezos's perceived outreach to political figures, and an FBI search of a reporter's home in January.

Reactions have been sharp: one anonymous Post reporter called it a "bloodbath," unions criticized Bezos for withdrawing investment from the paper's mission, former editor Marty Baron and others warned of "enormous damage" to journalism, and former publisher Don Graham expressed sadness over losing longtime colleagues.

The Post joins other major newspapers struggling as audiences shift to social media and digital platforms disrupt traditional revenue models.