Union: WaPo Mass Layoffs Were More Severe Than Announced

The Washington Post's recent mass layoffs, announced on February 4, 2026, were significantly more severe in the newsroom than initially reported, according to the Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild (the union representing Post journalists).

Initial mainstream coverage—including reports from The New York Times, BBC, The Wall Street Journal, and even The Post itself—described the cuts as affecting roughly one-third of the overall workforce (about 300 positions company-wide) and a similar proportion in the newsroom (more than 300 out of roughly 800 journalists).

However, in an article published February 9, 2026, in Washingtonian magazine by veteran media reporter Paul Farhi, the Guild provided a revised accounting. Guild steward Sarah Kaplan (a Post Metro reporter) told Farhi that management eliminated between 350 and 375 journalists from the newsroom.

With the pre-layoff newsroom strength at 790 people, this equates to 44% to 47.5% of the journalistic staff being cut—closer to nearly half than the one-third figure widely cited earlier.

The discrepancy arises because early reports focused on approximate totals (around 300 layoffs) that may not have fully included non-Guild positions or finalized counts, while the Guild's figure reflects a more precise union tally of affected journalists.

These layoffs—described as possibly the largest one-day wipeout of journalists in a generation—eliminated entire departments and sections, including the sports section, books coverage, staff photography, significant portions of Metro/local reporting (e.g., slashed from over 40 to about 12 reporters in some accounts), and multiple foreign bureaus (including the entire Middle East roster and the Kyiv correspondent).

The cuts stem from ongoing financial pressures at the Jeff Bezos-owned paper, including reported losses of around $100 million in 2024 (with some estimates higher), declining subscribers (partly linked to the decision not to endorse a presidential candidate in 2024), and reduced search traffic due to AI tools.

The Guild has strongly condemned the reductions, warning they weaken the paper's ability to hold power accountable and provide essential coverage. Reactions have included staff rallies, sharp criticism of owner Bezos and leadership (including former executives), and some laid-off journalists launching Substacks or other independent ventures.

For the full details, see the Washingtonian article by Paul Farhi: "Actually, the Washington Post Layoffs Were a Bigger Bloodbath Than You Thought."