Executive Editor Matt Murray informed employees of the layoffs during a Wednesday Zoom call, according to a report, citing sources
The Washington Post is set to implement significant job cuts across its newsroom, including scaling back foreign reporting and shuttering parts of its sports section.
Executive Editor Matt Murray informed employees of the layoffs during a Wednesday Zoom call, reported The New York Times, citing sources.
The cuts are expected to affect hundreds of journalists, added the report.
Barry Svrluga, a sports columnist at the Washington Post, said on social media that the newspaper plans to close its sports department “in its current form,” citing Murray’s remarks during the call.
The news outlet also intends to reduce the number of reporters stationed overseas, further curtailing its international coverage.
The announcement comes after days of speculation that the Bezos-owned company would make cuts to its foreign, sports, and local desks.
Last month, some Washington Post reporters reportedly sent letters to owner Jeff Bezos urging him not to proceed with job reductions.
“Cutting this deeply sourced, battle-hardened and tireless staff would hinder The Post’s ability to respond to the biggest news developments on the horizon,” the Post’s foreign correspondents said in their letter, which was posted on social media.
“Don’t eliminate our jobs,” reporters from the Post’s local desk said in their missive to Bezos.
“Keep the Washington Post a place that covers Washington.”
Jeff Bezos purchased The Washington Post in 2013 for $250 million, amid declining readership and mounting financial challenges.
At the time, he assured employees that the newspaper would continue the legacy of its late publisher, Katharine Graham, committing to pursue the truth and cover important stories “no matter the cost.”
With inputs from agencies
End of Article
