After Trump-Era Federal Cutbacks, The Washington Post Moves to Lay Off One-Third of Its Workforce

In a move that has sent shockwaves through the global journalism community, The Washington Post—one of the most storied names in American media—has initiated large-scale layoffs affecting roughly one-third of its workforce. The cuts span the newsroom as well as other operational departments, dealing a heavy blow to an institution long regarded as a pillar of investigative reporting.

The process began on Wednesday, with the struggling newspaper announcing sweeping reductions that include the dismantling of its sports desk and a sharp scaling back of its international reporting presence. Executive Editor Matt Murray conveyed the decision to staff during a Zoom meeting, underscoring the depth of the restructuring.

The irony has not been lost on employees. The Post, celebrated historically for exposing the Watergate scandal and more recently for its aggressive coverage of former US President Donald Trump’s reductions in the federal workforce, is now grappling with its own painful downsizing. For many inside the organisation, the layoffs represent not just a financial setback but a profound psychological blow.

Staff members were informed that they would receive emails clearly indicating whether their roles had been eliminated, with subject lines explicitly stating their employment status. While the company declined to reveal its total headcount, a spokesperson confirmed that approximately one-third of all employees would be affected.

According to Murray, the restructuring will significantly alter the paper’s editorial framework. The Washington-area news desk and editing teams will be reorganised, the books department will be shut down entirely, and the popular Post Reports podcast will be suspended.

Acknowledging the scale of disruption, Murray admitted the cuts would be deeply unsettling. However, he maintained that the goal was to reshape The Post into a more sustainable organisation capable of surviving—and eventually thriving—in a rapidly changing media landscape.

“Today, The Washington Post is taking a number of difficult but decisive actions for our future, in what amounts to a significant restructuring across the company,” a spokesperson said in a formal statement. “These steps are intended to strengthen our long-term stability and refocus our efforts on delivering the distinctive journalism that sets The Post apart and, most importantly, resonates with our readers.”

As a privately held company, The Washington Post does not publicly disclose subscription figures, though industry estimates suggest it has more than two million subscribers worldwide.

Signs of impending cuts had been circulating for weeks. Reports emerged that sports journalists who had been scheduled to cover the Winter Olympics in Italy were told their travel plans were cancelled. Following public backlash, the newspaper partially reversed course, stating that a much smaller reporting team would attend.

The Post’s current struggles stand in sharp contrast to the fortunes of its longtime rival, The New York Times. The Times has enjoyed sustained growth in recent years, driven largely by diversification into digital products such as its Games platform and Wirecutter product reviews. Over the past decade, The New York Times has reportedly doubled its workforce.

Frustration within The Post has increasingly been directed at its owner, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. In recent weeks, employees have publicly appealed to him for intervention. Critics argue that several of Bezos’s decisions—such as declining to endorse Democratic candidate Kamala Harris over Republican Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election and steering opinion pages in a more conservative direction—have contributed to falling readership and internal morale.

The Washington Post Guild, which represents the paper’s employees, has urged the public to speak out. “Tell Jeff Bezos that enough is enough,” the union said in a statement. “The Washington Post would not exist without its workers.”