TIMBERRRR: The Washington Post Announces Layoffs

The Washington Post on Tuesday informed its staff about impending layoffs at the company.

The newspaper publication plans to cut 4% of its workforce, less than 100 people, across its business divisions to reduce costs.

news: The Washington Post has begun laying off staff. It’s cutting roughly 4% of its total staff, or fewer than 100 peoplehttps://t.co/I2QYFd5a9x

— Ben Mullin (@BenMullin) January 7, 2025

“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,” a spokesperson said, according to Fox Business.

“Changes across our business functions are all in service of our greater goal to best position The Post for the future,” the spokesperson added.

Washington Post lays off 4% of workforce as turmoil engulfs Jeff Bezos-owned newspaper https://t.co/FcxbzcBpKG pic.twitter.com/MmT4COz1hu

— New York Post (@nypost) January 7, 2025

Fox Business reports:

A source familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital earlier this week that, while newsroom staffers were exempted from the forthcoming layoffs, “morale is just horrible” under publisher Will Lewis due to an exodus of talent leaving for jobs at different outlets, as well as heavy financial losses and dwindling traffic.

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The layoffs come one year after The Post implemented mass buyouts. It was reported that 240 staffers took exit packages, preventing a round of layoffs at the time.

It was reported last fall that The Post was on pace to lose $77 million in 2024, and that estimate came before the paper shed a jarring 250,000 subscribers as part of the liberal outrage over the paper’s move to not endorse a presidential candidate in the election, a decision made by its billionaire owner Jeff Bezos.

The Post editorial board had been set, to no one’s surprise, to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris before Bezos intervened. Since it began offering White House endorsements in 1976, the paper has backed the Democratic candidate in every race except 1988, when it didn’t endorse anyone.

The Washington Post is cutting 4 percent of its workforce https://t.co/5PoY7kt33o

— The Hill (@thehill) January 7, 2025

Prior reports this week noted multiple political reporters who left the publication to work with other media companies.

Per Axios:

Monday brought more announcements about star political reporters leaving — another gut punch to the Post newsroom, which has seen a slew of top talent flee in recent weeks amid frustration with management.

Puck announced it hired Leigh Ann Caldwell as its chief Washington correspondent. The Wall Street Journal confirmed it hired Josh Dawsey, one of the Post’s top Trump chroniclers.

Last week, two of the Post’s other top political reporters, Ashley Parker and Michael Scherer, moved to The Atlantic. Tyler Pager, a rising talent, was poached by the New York Times as a White House reporter, joining former Post managing editor Matea Gold, who announced last month that she’s moving to the Times as deputy Washington bureau chief.

On the opinion side, cartoonist Ann Telnaes, a Pulitzer Prize winner, quit last Friday. Several opinion editors stepped down from the Post’s editorial board last year after the paper’s endorsement of Vice President Harris for president was spiked at the 11th hour at the behest of owner Jeff Bezos.

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This is a Guest Post from our friends over at 100 Percent Fed Up.

View the original article here.