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New York Times:
WaPo begins widespread layoffs, cutting into international coverage and more; sources: it is laying off 30% of its employees, including 300+ of 800 journalists — The layoffs cut into The Post's local, international and sports coverage, and reduced its work force by about 30 percent.
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Discussion:
Rachel Siegel / gofundme.com: Washington Post 2026 layoff fund
Max Tani / @maxtani.bsky.social: Speaking to WaPo employees, editor Matt Murray says cuts are about “positioning ourselves to become more essential to people's lives, and what is becoming a more crowded, competitive and complicated media landscape, and after some years when, candidly, the Post has had struggles to do that.”
Jeremy Barr / The Guardian: Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos stays silent as employees brace for cuts
Martina Di Licosa / Forbes: Bezos Remains Silent About The Washington Post For Nearly A Year —As It Slashes Staff
Angela Fu / Poynter: The Washington Post lays off a third of its staff
Max Tani / @maxwelltani: Murray says the Post will be closing the sports department “in its current form.” The paper plans to retain several reporters to join features and cover sports as a “cultural and societal phenomenon,” and will have a few employees on its print sports section.
Barry Svrluga / @barrysvrluga: “First, we will be closing the Sports department in its current form.” — Matt Murray, editor of the Post
Caitlin McCormack / New York Post: GoFundMe for 300 axed Washington Post journalists surpasses $250K on first day
Ahmad Austin Jr / Mediaite: Washington Wizards Rock NBA World with Massive Trade — Just as the Washington Post Guts Its Sports Desk
Gerry Shih / @gerryshih: It was a privilege to be a Post correspondent, roaming the world the last 7+ years for a paper I very much believed in. I'm gone along with the rest of the ME team and majority of teammates from Delhi to Beijing to Kyiv & Latam. Sad day, but it was a lot of fun and we raised hell
Neil Greenberg / @ngreenberg: It's official: my time with The Washington Post has come to an end💔 If any media outlet needs a data-driven sportswriter who can produce millions of page views let me know. March Madness is coming up.
Raquel Calhoun / The Wrap: Washington Post Layoffs GoFundMe Crosses $190,000 Raised for Impacted Staff: ‘We Are Devastated’
Lizzie Johnson / @lizziejohnsonnn: I was just laid off by The Washington Post in the middle of a warzone. I have no words. I'm devastated.
David Akin / @davidakin@mstdn.ca: WaPo gutted: Shuts sports, metro sections, idles 30% of its journalists. NYT coverage (🎁 link) here https://www.nytimes.com/...
@madisonkittay.bsky.social: Welp, we all watched this train wreck happening for years. — Jeff Bezos murdered Kay Graham's baby. — www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/b...
Jacob Brogan / @jacob_brogan: The Washington Post is eliminating many sections. Book World, my section, is among them.
Sabrina Malhi / @sabrinamalhi: My heart is broken. I'm sitting here nursing my newborn baby and losing my “dream job” at @washingtonpost is devastating.
Nicole Asbury / @nicoleasbury: I'm among the hundreds laid off today by The Post. It was a dream to write about education for @postlocal. I don't have answers over what future coverage of Maryland schools will look like. If you have job tips, please send them my way
Beth Kowitt / Bloomberg: The End Is (Probably) Not Near
Claire Parker / @cairo_claire1: Laid off from the Washington Post, along with the entire roster of Middle East correspondents and our editors. Hard to understand the logic. But I am grateful for my incredible colleagues, whose grit and dedication to the reporting and each other I will miss dearly.
Michael Miller / @mikemillerdc: It was an honor to be @washingtonpost's first Sydney bureau chief. Unfortunately, I'm also the last. The paper is shrinking foreign coverage. I've lost my job. Worse, millions of readers will lose my colleagues' brilliant coverage. At a time of tumult, we need more info, not less [image]
Bruce Gil / Gizmodo: Washington Post Lays Off Its Amazon Beat Reporter as Bezos Brings the Hammer Down
Emily Sundberg / Feed Me: Substack and beehiiv offer lifeboats* to WaPo staffers.
Ryan Mac / @rmac18: This is Bezos' most recent post. Too busy coddling those in power to address the lives and publication he upended. [image]
Jeremy Barr / @jeremymbarr: Murray is talking about how the Post is struggling to break through with “customers”
Brian Stelter / @brianstelter: This is the email Washington Post staffers who are NOT laid off are receiving: [image]
Scott Allen / @scottsallen: My position was eliminated and I'll have more to say about that later, but I'll take PDF requests for Sports fronts from 2002-today for as long as I have access to the system. A note on the thread: You have to click “Show Replies” to unfurl additional pages every so often.
Cate Brown / @catebrown12: Peter Finn is the best among us. Raising a glass to the Post's international desk today.
David Folkenflik / @davidfolkenflik: WashPost Jerusalem bureau chief laid off - among many many others
Nina Melendez Ibarra / Nina Melendez Ibarra on LinkedIn: At a time when journalism is so incredibly needed, this is saddening. Journalists don't go into the industry for money …
Ella Brockway / @ellabrockway: It's saddening and maddening to watch what's happening at the Washington Post today. The staffers there and their readers everywhere deserve better than these shortsighted decisions and the mismanagement that led to them.
Joah Spearman / Joah Spearman on LinkedIn: Today's news of the major layoffs at The Washington Post isn't just a major blow to media and this legacy institution, but to journalism. …
Pascal Jacquemain / @jacquep.bsky.social: Washington Post Begins Laying Off More Than 300 Journalists — www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/b...
Jeremy Barr / @jeremymbarr: As a naturally negative person, I often saw Rachel beaming in the Post newsroom and asked her why she was so happy and she'd tell me about some interview she had done and how excited she was to do her job (which she did very well and got a lot of traffic for)
Elizabeth Warren / @senwarren: Jeff Bezos just fired hundreds of reporters at the Washington Post — including the Amazon reporter holding his OWN company accountable. Reminder: Jeff Bezos' net worth is nearly $250,000,000,000.
Rachel Kurzius / @curious_kurz: Alas, I got that “Eliminated” email from the @washingtonpost. I LOVED that job. I firmly believe that telling delicious, curious, surprising stories is key to the success of journalism. I plan to keep doing so! (You can now hire me, if you agree) #SaveThePost [image]
Cate Martel / The Hill: White House pulls back Minnesota immigration crackdown
Jeremy Barr / @jeremymbarr: The cuts are still shaking out, but I've heard the Post's middle east coverage was severely cut. The Post's tech reporting team was also hit hard...
Wen / @Wen@mastodon.scot: Has Bezos got tired with his toy or is this clearing out those pesky journalists who won't join him in the oozy warmth of Trump's alimentary canal? — https://www.theguardian.com/ ... #Bezos #Trump #WashingtonPost #UsPol #Journalism #Trump
Jonathan Martin / @jmart: Ken Griffin, saying it out loud “Most CEOs just don't want to find themselves in the business of having to, in some sense, suck up to one administration after another to succeed in running their business.”
Max Tani / @maxwelltani: Speaking to Post employees, Murray says today is about “positioning ourselves to become more essential to people's lives, and what is becoming a more crowded, competitive and complicated media landscape, and after some years when, candidly, the Post has had struggles to do that.”
Sara Fischer / @sarafischer: Hearing @washingtonpost ArcXP also facing pretty serious cuts - around 75 people.
Ryan Cooper / @ryanlcooper.com: one thing I'd emphasize about this and WaPo is that the MAGA billionaires aren't really doing the Putin style authoritarian thing of simultaneously corrupting all media, they are more obliterating parts of it one by one bsky.app/profile/medi... [embedded post]
Geoffrey A. Fowler / @geoffreyfowler: After 8 years writing the tech column @washingtonpost, I am among folks who were laid off today. I'm grateful for the stories I got to tell and the impact we made on privacy, sustainability & AI. You can keep following my work on my new (free) Substack https://geoffreyafowler.substack.com/
Joseph Menn / @joemenn.bsky.social: Most of the Washington Post's tech reporters were laid off today, including me. I have loved my time at the paper, which is where I wanted to work from age 15. I take some consolation in not being among the survivors who will have to work harder with less for fewer readers. On to better things.
Heather Long / @byheatherlong: This is sad. And a deliberate choice to shrink the Washington Post's coverage, audience and reach. I worked at WaPo for 8 great years — as a reporter, columnist and editorial board member — alongside so many talented journalists. I left in spring 2025 because I saw the
Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette: Washington Post to cut one-third of all staff
Matthew Yglesias / @mattyglesias: I continue to think an underrated way for a rich guy to gain social esteem would be: 1. Buy/start a newspaper 2. Accept that it will not be profitable 3. Focus on a lot of very traditional, very down-the-middle state/local reporting 4. Also run editorials you agree with
Kevin Clark / @bykevinclark: Everyone who grew up wanting to be a sportswriter wanted to work for the Washington Post. It's unfathomable and avoidable that the section of Jenkins, Povich, Kornheiser, Wilbon, Boswell, Feinstein and many more is gone. A baffling and maddening decision.
Max Tani / @maxwelltani: Matt Murray's full email to staff about today's cuts at the Washington Post [image]
Ben Mullin / @benmullin.bsky.social: NEWS: The cuts were so severe that at least one department head asked to leave The Post rather than be included in the planning. — Peter Finn, The Post's international editor, requested that he be laid off once he learned about the scope of the cuts to his section. — www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/b...
Hannah Nightingale / The Post Millennial: Washington Post lays off 30% of its staff, including 300 reporters
Yeganeh Torbati / @yjtorbati: I'm heartbroken to announce that I've been laid off from my position at The Washington Post. Working at this newspaper, and especially being a foreign correspondent covering Iran and Turkey over the last few short months, was a dream come true for me.
Dylan Byers / @dylanbyers: Have to wonder if this, from the profitable New York Times, stings Bezos just a pinch: “The cuts, announced in a video call with employees, are a sign that Jeff Bezos, who became one of the world's richest people by selling things on the internet, has not yet figured out how to
@aliceallonym.bsky.social: Most of the takes here are “Bezos is stupid incompetent so he's ruining the paper” — But it seems more probable that he bought the Post with the long-term intention of extracting maximum value in terms of favors from Trump, then destroying it — Which is in fact exactly what we've seen [embedded post]
Edmund Lee / @edmundlee.bsky.social: Amazon spent $75 million for MELANIA, a hagiomentary that will likely incur $60 million in losses even after a robust box office. — Jeff Bezos is willing to lose money on media, just a certain kind of media [embedded post]
Jake Sherman / @jakesherman: This is an absolute shame.
Tom Schad / @tom_schad: As an employee, this is gutting. As a longtime reader, it is devastating. So much of what I learned and admired about sports journalism came from reading The Post. Working there was a dream. Just wish it would've lasted more than 5 months.
Benjy Sarlin / @benjysarlin: Will Lewis and Jeff Bezos saw a tidal wave coming, threw the surfboard in the wood chipper, started making burnt offerings to the wave as it approached
Matthew Yglesias / @mattyglesias: @zachdcarter @sarahmillerdc If you want billionaires to support money-losing local newspapers then I think you are in fact going to need to butter them up quite a bit.
@cfishman: At a moment of incredible tumult & danger & change in the Middle East — where US gov't & military action will be key shaping force, the Washington Post lays off its entire Mideast reporting staff. Hard to see how this aligns w a strategy of making paper more urgently relevant.
Ishaan Tharoor / @ishaantharoor: I have been laid off today from the @washingtonpost, along with most of the International staff and so many other wonderful colleagues. I'm heartbroken for our newsroom and especially for the peerless journalists who served the Post internationally — editors and correspondents
Drew Harwell / @drewharwell: I expected the cuts would be bad but I'm honestly stunned and sickened seeing how many great journalists the Washington Post just lost. People who nailed huge investigations, documented war zones, exposed horrific crimes, dropped all at once for failures they did not cause.
Peter Baker / @peterbakernyt: No struggling newspaper ever saved itself by becoming a worse and less essential product. But what's happening today at the @washingtonpost is not just the latest devastating contraction of the news industry; it's the gutting of an American institution vital for a healthy society
Charles Lister / @charles_lister: The @washingtonpost just let go of every single journalist working on the #MiddleEast. What a stunning, absolutely incomprehensible decision. I hope they all get snapped up fast by the Post's competitors.
Dan Wetzel / @danwetzel: The Washington Post has been the best newspaper sports section for a long time now. Best staff. Best work. Business wise, I don't understand why a media outlet - especially one that is understandably focused on politics - would give up on sports, which serves as a unifier and
Pranshu Verma / @pranshuverma_: Heartbroken to share I've been laid off from The Washington Post. Gutted for so many of my talented friends who are also gone. It was a privilege to work here the past four years. Serving as the paper's New Delhi bureau chief was an honor.
Jeremy Barr / @jeremymbarr: “It's a bad day,” said Don Graham, who sold the Washington Post to Jeff Bezos in 2013. “I am so sad that so many excellent reporters and editors - and old friends - are losing their jobs.” [image]
Jason Skog / Jason Skog on LinkedIn: As a longtime recovering journalist, the WaPo's layoffs are absolutely heart-breaking. To all those affected, be strong. There is life beyond the newsroom. …
Carrie Engel / Carrie Engel on LinkedIn: At some point, my brain switched from my “hometown paper” being the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette to the Washington Post. …
Michael Calderone / @mlcalderone: After short meeting announcing “strategic reset,” and no Q&A, one longtime Post staffer tells TheWrap: “This was handled with cowardice. Washington Post executives took no ownership this morning for the questionable strategic and business decisions they have made that put the
Max Tani / @maxwelltani: In addition to sports, the Washington Post is killing its book section, suspending its Post Reports podcast, restructuring its metro section, and shrinking its international footprint.
Corbin Bolies / @corbinbolies: NEW — Statement from the Washington Post's union:
Jeremy Barr / @jeremymbarr: The Washington Post Guild has started a fundraising effort for laid off employees: https://www.gofundme.com/...
Jeff Stein / @jstein_wapo: Dylan Byers embodies the worst of Washington journalism. Astoundingly naive of the narratives of the powerful in exchange for vapid and largely immaterial “scoops.” A precise inverting of the highest callings of the profession
Robert McCartney / @mccartneywp: Apparently The Post has laid off every reporter and editor covering the Middle East. Jerusalem bureau closed. Also Ukraine bureau closed.
David Folkenflik / @davidfolkenflik: Former WaPost owner Don Graham: It's a bad day. I am sad that so many excellent reporters and editors—and old friends—are losing their jobs.... I will have to learn a new way to read the paper, since I have started with the sports page since the late 1940's. con't 1/2
Jeremy Barr / @jeremymbarr: In a move that would have seemed unimaginable a few years ago, the Post is closing their bureau in Ukraine, I've heard. That's on top of shredding their coverage of the Middle East... https://www.theguardian.com/ ...
Brandon Champion / MLive.com: Iconic US newspaper eliminates sports department, cuts one-third of its staff
Matthew Zeitlin / @mattzeitlin: Brutal comparison with the Washington Post news today
Jeremy Barr / @jeremymbarr: Despite the Post's stated plan to re-focus more on politics and government coverage, several reporters and editors who do just that were laid off today
Joon Lee / @joonlee: The Washington Post was already one of the best sports sections in the country at covering this. I was at WaPo in 2016 after Bezos took over and optimism about the future reigned. Heartbreaking to see how mismanagement of an institution brought us here. Terrible for journalism.
John Sexton / HotAir: Meanwhile, Business is Booming at the NY Times
Ben Mullin / @benmullin: A staggering statement from former Washington Post editor Marty Baron: “This ranks among the darkest days in the history of one of the world's greatest news organizations.” [image]
Rep. Paul Tonko / @reppaultonko.bsky.social: About 1/3 of all Washington Post employees lost their jobs today. These were dedicated journalists who worked to shed light, understanding, and compassion on our daily lives. — They were fired by Jeff Bezos, who's net worth is $250 BILLION. — Democracy Dies in Darkness. Bezos is killing the lights.
Seung Min Kim / @seungminkim: The @washingtonpost is absolutely essential for the world and our understanding of it. Thinking of everyone at my beloved former newsroom, who are all so hardworking, dedicated, talented — and deserve better from the Post's decision-makers.
Peter Baker / @peterbakernyt: Jeff Bezos wealth in 2024: $194 billion Jeff Bezos wealth in 2025: $215 billion Jeff Bezos wealth today: $249.4 billion Net increase in Bezos wealth since 2024: $55.4 billion Cost of Bezos's 417-foot superyacht: $500 million Amazon investment in “Melania”: $75 million
Bailey Johnson / @baileyajohnson_: I was among the layoffs at @washingtonpost today. It has been an absolute dream to be a small part of this incredible team. Covering the Caps has been an honor; being a beat writer is an all-consuming thing that I love deeply. I hope I'll get to continue that in whatever is next
Ben Jacobs / @bencjacobs: Making your product worse to attract new customers is an interesting strategy
Liam Hoare / @lahoare.bsky.social: These aren't layoffs; it's a massacre: “The company is laying off about 30 percent of all its employees, according to two people with knowledge of the decision. That includes people on the business side and more than 300 of the roughly 800 journalists in the newsroom, the people said.”
Susan Rinkunas / @susanrinkunas.com: Executive editor Matt Murray said “all sections would be affected in some way, and that the result would be a publication focused even more on national news and politics, as well as business and health...” — But not all business... www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/b... [embedded post]
David Folkenflik / @davidfolkenflik: extraordinary - the post's stated emphasis is national security who will cover Iran/Saudi? Israel? Hamas and the future of Gaza - and given US policy how all these things affect national security?
Rachel Van Dongen / @rachelvand: I'm sick to my stomach about what's happening at WaPo. Yes, the media industry is facing existential headwinds. Yes, WaPo & other pubs have & should evolve. But this particular mess is a result of perpetually poor business decisions & a failure of management. Full stop.
Hamza Shaban / @hshaban: This part from former editor in chief Marty Baron's response is so important: The Washington Post's leadership made decisions that hurt the Post's business, and they didn't care. That's because it was not about money. And neither are the layoffs today. [image]
Jason La Canfora / @jasonlacanfora: The @washingtonpost was by far the best place I ever worked in any capacity. Loved my initial 10 year run there ('99-'09) more than I thought possible and owe my editors and colleagues so much for their guidance. Loved my return the last 4 years just as much. Bezos is a ghoul
Ryan Cooper / @ryanlcooper.com: it's real bad, don't get me wrong, but suggests a potential opening for replacements. most CBS viewers and WaPo readers plainly do not want to be force-fed poorly produced MAGA slopaganda
@fluffykontbiscuits@mastodon.social: Bezos just butchered one of the most trusted papers in the US. Was bad enough he bought it ... https://www.theguardian.com/ ...
David Klion / @davidklion: The Washington Post employs Becca Rothfeld, the best and most laureled young nonfiction book critic in the business, and they're killing her whole section. So bleak.
Jennifer Hassan / @guinnesskebab: Washington Post staff now waiting to see if we receive a ‘your role is eliminated’ email... Many London staff members have been told we must attend a meeting two hours after our shift ends... a dark day. My heart is broken.
Jennifer Hassan / @guinnesskebab: Weeks shy of my 10 year anniversary at The Washington Post and my heart is breaking
Marissa J. Lang / @marissa_jae: I was laid off today by The Washington Post. I'm proud of the work I have done at this place — not just the award-winning work, but the stories that spurred change, that were steeped in this beautiful local community. Job tips welcome. DMs open. Or: marissalang(@)gmail(dot)com
Ashley Parker / @ashleyrparker: Imagine your legacy is presiding over a massacre at an amazing newspaper — or being the publisher, who couldn't even be bothered to show up for the layoff meeting, which was already a profile in cowardice, held via Zoom. I hope that Georgetown swimming pool was worth it...
Will Hobson / @thewillhobson: Some personal news: I'm among today's @washingtonpost layoffs. It was a dream 11-year run as an investigative reporter focused on sports—making billionaires tremble (or at least mildly annoying them and their lawyers.) A few highlights from the ride: 🧵
Michael A. Cohen / @speechboy71: When you read about all the great reporters laid off at the Washington Post today keep in mind that its owner paid $500 million for a f***ing yacht
Bruce Arthur / @bruce_arthur: Democracy dies in darkness, they say, as the cretins running the Washington Post systematically switch off light after light
Dan Pfeiffer / @danpfeiffer: The fact the Bezos and Will Lewis can't make local sports work is such proof of their indifference and incompetence. Washington Post sports was the home of Wilbon, Kornheiser, Jenkins, Feinstein etc
Michael Gold / @migold: a DC mayor's election without a robust local newspaper is going to be a bumpy ride this is a city - and a region - where local issues and federal ones are inseparable
Zachary D. Carter / @zachdcarter: Let's all practice billionaire positivity https://x.com/...
Sam Stein / @samstein: The fact that Bezos isn't communicating this himself (apparently) is such an indictment of the guy. I know he's busy with the Melania doc and meeting with Trump officials for new contracts. but at least have the courage to dismantle your newspaper yourself.
Caroline O'Donovan / @ceodonovan: not just me but much of our top tech reporting talent !
Jeremy Barr / @jeremymbarr: Still nothing from Will Lewis, the man who runs the newspaper. “Will Lewis's legacy (already pretty bleak to begin with) will be having enabled Bezos to tank an American institution,” one laid-off Post employee told me. “And he wasn't even brave enough to face his staffers more
Jack Shafer / @jackshafer: The Washington Post cuts would be a tad more tolerable if the people who ran it into the ditch over the past three years were given the sack along with journalists covering sports, books, foreign, and metro. But no, Will Lewis, survives.
Sally Jenkins / @sallyjenki: The incredible incompetence and pusillanimity of William Lewis and Matt Murray is on display for itself at the @washingtonpost this morning. It's a self own. This is their last job. Others will work again. They won't.
Shane Harris / @shaneharris: I spent 7 years at the @washingtonpost. Did some of the best work of my career. Had some of the best times of my life. The people responsible for the misery that is about to unfold will probably fail up, which is a damn shame. There will be a time for recriminations. But today,
Steve Wyche / @wyche89: As a former Washington Post writer, I simply can't believe what has happened. Working there was such a source of pride. I was pushed by the best editors and colleagues and learned so much about the craft. The collapse of this great beacon of journalism is heart breaking.
Nicole Charky-Chami / Raw Story: Firestorm as Washington Post lays off reporter in the middle of a ‘frigid warzone’
Thinktank / Baller Alert: The Washington Post Lays Off Over 300 Journalists — Cuts Sports, Local, and Global Coverage
Ben Standig / @benstandig: Forget my current occupation. As a DMV native who grew up devouring the Washington Post sports section, today's unfathomable layoffs are another blow to local coverage that once defined this region. When people I respect, competed against and care about — like @gene_wang (no,
Laura Helmuth / @laurahelmuth.bsky.social: Journalism has a lot of challenges right now, but this? This is Jeff Bezos' fault. He bought The Washington Post and he broke it. For shame. www.theguardian.com/media/2026/ f...
Lydia Polgreen / @lpolgreen: One of the reasons I came back to the New York Times after a spell in digital media: I learned in my wandering that nowhere else in the news biz is the brilliance of the newsroom matched by the business side. Powerhouses top to bottom. I had no idea how rare that is.
Abraham Gutman / Abraham Gutman on LinkedIn: The social media posts by journalists laid off by the Washington Post are heartbreaking, and the names are shocking. …
Ishaan Tharoor / @ishaantharoor: A bad day [image]
Jeremy Barr / @jeremymbarr: The Post is suspending its flagship podcast Post Reports and ending the current version of the sports desk
Max Tani / @maxwelltani: WaPo statement: “The Washington Post is taking a number of difficult but decisive actions today for our future, in what amounts to a significant restructuring across the company. These steps are designed to strengthen our footing and sharpen our focus on delivering the
Quentin Ariès / @quentinaries.bsky.social: Very sad to see the Washington Post cutting 300 reporting positions. — It was a honour to be a freelancer for 4 years at the foreign desk. Even with a small team in Europe, we managed to produce great journalism! — Good luck for those looking for new gigs. — www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/b...
Jeremy Barr / @jeremymbarr: Kara Swisher, a Post staffer back in the day, has contributed $10,000 (generous donations also from other current and former Post luminaries) [image]
Lili Loofbourow / @millicentsomer: My job at the Washington Post was just eliminated along w/the whole Books section, most of Sports, Post Reports, and many, many others. Silver lining: my last piece was on the Muppets.
Charlotte Clymer / @cmclymer: My heart breaks for the editors, reporters, and staff at The Washington Post who try to serve the public with integrity and don't deserve this. And also: many of us saw this coming from a mile away. Jeff Bezos has destroyed this once great American institution.
Jerry Brewer / @jerrybrewer: When I joined The Post sports section, I thought I scored a great job. It ended up being a life-changing, career-boosting experience, a great challenge with greater people. Family. I loved everyone I ever worked with there — in every department. This is a grim, unnecessary day.
@sadiemaetn.bsky.social: www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/b... 💥Jeff Bezo spent over $75 million on a failed Melania documentary and now the journalist have to pay the price. Democracy Dies In Darkness. We need our journalists to keep us informed.
Jesús Rodríguez / @jesusrodriguezb: Also: By my estimate, there are now only two reporters of color in the entire Features department at the Post after layoffs.
Jake Sherman / @jakesherman: This is a really hard day for a lot of people in Washington journalism. For those who are impacted — or those who want a change — please know that we are hiring for several roles, including a couple of editorial positions. We are a small but very ambitious newsroom. We are
PJ Joshi / @pjoshidc: After 4 years as weekend editor for national & politics, I was laid off from the @washingtonpost. Every weekend was nonstop with assassination attempts, court actions, global military strikes — all harder to cover with 300 fewer talented journalists. Next steps TK/DMs open.
Taylor Lorenz / @taylorlorenz: Just awful and deranged. I hope every one of the journalists there can get out. There's so much talent in that newsroom
Ben Mullin / @benmullin: New, with @ErikWemple and @katie_robertson: The Washington Post is beginning sweeping layoffs, which are expected to decimate sports, international and local coverage: https://www.nytimes.com/...
David Folkenflik / @davidfolkenflik: Brutal juxtapositon - A newspaper focused company thriving as a top competitor embarks on mass layoffs — though owned by one of the planet's wealtiest people
@sjvn@mastodon.social: Matt Murray, The Post's executive editor, said, “Today is about positioning ourselves to become more essential to people's lives.” — By killing its sports desk and cutting back local and international news coverage. Right. — Stick a fork in it, it's done. — https://www.nytimes.com/...
Matt / @tiredgenerally.bsky.social: the intent here, i think, was to mimic how the american old(er) money uses press connections and media ownership to kill stories, exercise influence etc. but bezos does not seem to understand that this only works if the institution is respectable enough to reputationally launder what you want it to [embedded post]
Brian Stelter / @brianstelter: Sally Quinn says re: Jeff Bezos: “It just seems heartbreaking that he doesn't feel the paper is important enough to bankroll.”
Ben Mullin / @benmullin: NEWS: The cuts were so severe that at least one department head asked to leave The Post rather than be included in the planning. Peter Finn, The Post's international editor, requested that he be laid off once he learned about the scope of the cuts to his section.
Dan Walden / @dwaldenwrites: Catastrophic. Becca Rothfeld is probably the best nonfiction critic in the business right now.
BrianKrebs / @briankrebs@infosec.exchange: The NYT says WaPo is laying off about 30 percent of all employees, including more than 300 of the roughly 800 journalists in the newsroom. — https://www.nytimes.com/...
David Folkenflik / @davidfolkenflik: The bureau chief and correspondent for WaPo's Ukraine bureau have been laid off; I'm told local staff remains for now.
Nilo Tabrizy / @ntabrizy: I got laid off today with my other talented Posties. It was an amazing ride to do more open source work and keep reporting on Iran. Thank you to my amazing colleagues and editors for making space for some of my favorite work. Please DM if you'd like to work together. Grateful to
Jeremy Barr / @jeremymbarr: And Peter Finn isn't the only Post editor who volunteered to leave to save others... An organization staffed with really good people
Seth Wickersham / @sethwickersham: As someone who has subscribed, consumed, competed against, admired, and interned at the Washington Post sports section, I'm still in shock that the powers that be are *walking away* from a known, rabid, paying audience. Thinking foremost of all those affected today, even those
Neera Tanden / @neeratanden: The truth about the Washington Post: Bezos made decisions to curry favor with Trump that made a lot of Washington Post readers distrust the newspaper. It then lost a lot of subscriptions, which lost money. And now he's doing layoffs. He should sell the paper to someone who will
Charles Arthur / @charlesarthur: “To save the village we have to destroy it”
Abubakar Idris / Abubakar Idris on LinkedIn: Few industries witness as many random “vibe shifts” with consequential impact on the careers and lives of its workers as the news industry. …
@leadergrev: I was laid off today, among hundreds of others at The Washington Post. I loved covering games here, and I am so proud of our international coverage. My colleagues — those who lost their jobs and those who didn't — are rockstars. It was such an honor to work alongside them.
David Folkenflik / @davidfolkenflik: It is astounding, and yet in keeping with Will Lewis's tenure leading the Washington Post, that he did not take part in today's announcement to the Post newsroom and has not offered a vision for the path forward.
Jada Yuan / @jadabird: Hi everyone, some news: I was laid off as part of the massive cuts at @washingtonpost. Thinking about my colleagues on the foreign desk living in war zones, and much of our arts team, and our readers. We'll need your support and, as soon as the numbness passes, I'll need work!
Candace Buckner / @candacedbuckner: I guess democracy has died, y'all Well at least, the greatest sports section in all the land has... Like so many of my amazingly talented friends & colleagues, my time at the washington post is over. Inconceivable that this was the decision for our section. But onward.
Ben Mullin / @benmullin: New: Washington Post Executive Editor Matt Murray and HR Chief Wayne Connell tell employees to stay home for a zoom webinar ahead of “significant actions across the company.” Widely expected layoffs are scheduled to begin today. [image]
Hamza Shaban / @hshaban: Instead of comparing Bezos butchering the Washington Post to the success of the NYT, I'm thinking about Musk going to extreme lengths to reshape Twitter into his journalism-replacement X. Bezos is now going to extreme lengths to disfigure the Post. At least Musk is honest!
Matea Gold / @mateagold: I was so lucky to work at the @washingtonpost for more than a decade, alongside tenacious, world-class journalists. I know how deeply committed the staff is to the mission of holding power to account, and how much grit and bravery they bring to unearthing stories that would
Robyn Dixon / @robyndixon__: The Washington Post's stellar Middle East team have been laid off. Many people on other teams are still waiting for emails on their futures. Cuts like these will be irredeemable. A terrible day for quality journalism.
Matthew Yglesias / @mattyglesias: Catastrophe for one of America's biggest and most important metro areas to turn into a de facto local news desert. Need the @BaltimoreBanner to expand.
Natalie Korach / @nataliekorach: WaPo's Matt Murray told staff the paper is shuttering its sports section, moving remaining staff to features, shrinking foreign coverage, restructuring metro, closing books coverage, suspending Post Reports podcast “Whole company now waiting for a live or die email” one staffer
Richard Deitsch / @richarddeitsch: The Athletic, especially given its Washington Post ties, can probably hire a couple of WaPo sports people. But it does not have the budget to hire them all. One of the harsh realities of the sports writing marketplace today is the endless decline of places that you could
David Folkenflik / @davidfolkenflik: A third of the Washington Post Co. has been laid off today, according to a company executive with knowledge.
Brandon Carter / @brandonetc: working at the @washingtonpost was a dream job. it is a newsroom of incredible, smart, talented, hardworking journalists. these cuts are capricious and foolish; a shame of the highest magnitude.
Rat King / @mikeisaac: has WaPo management laid out a strategy beyond “we need to do tiktoks” because of the cuts im seeing and hearing it is hard to grasp what the vision is aside from “stem losses”
Frank Seravalli / @frank_seravalli: Unconscionable that the Post won't be covering the Capitals on a daily basis. Thinking of @BaileyAJohnson_ and all of the incredible journalists who have covered hockey at the Post - particularly women. Their work was indelible. From Johnson to Pell to Khurshudyan to Carrera, all
Jack Shafer / @jackshafer: What's the case for maintaining your Washington Post subscription? Seriously, a lesser newspaper in every way for the same price. Convince me.
Souad Mekhennet / @smekhennet: 25 years ago, Peter Finn gave me the chance to help cover the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks—and how they reshaped the world—at @washingtonpost. He became a mentor and is a fierce defender of journalism. He truly cares about the people who work for and with him. Forever grateful.
Peter Thal Larsen / @petertl.bsky.social: It's a small part of the broader bloodbath, but the guy who made his fortune selling *books* online closing the *books* section of the newspaper he owns deserves some kind of special medal for hypocrisy. — www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/b...
Tashan Reed / @tashanreed: I've been laid off as part of The Washington Post's job cuts today. This is an incredibly sad day, not just for my colleagues and I, but for journalism as a whole. While I'm not sure what's next, I know I'll bounce back and continue to elevate.
Tim Bontemps / @timbontemps: I grew up dreaming of working at The Washington Post, and for the country's preeminent sports section. Getting the chance to live out that dream was an honor and a privilege, and it forever changed my life. I am beyond heartbroken for my friends. Today shouldn't be happening.
Rick Maese / @rickmaese: Hello from Milan, where I'll be covering the Winter Olympics for @washingtonpost. I suspect it will be a weird few days, but I plan to work through the chaos. It's what our Olympics crew has always done - it's what our incredible sports department has always done.
Caio Almendra / @caioalmendra.bsky.social: We are on the wholesale phase of ‘catch and kill’. — Years ago, rich people would buy influence among news outlets to kill one report or another. — Now, Bezos and Ellison Just catch and kill Washington Post and CBS as a whole, simply destroying everything in theirs path. [embedded post]
Shayne Mathis / @metalshayne.bsky.social: It seems crazy to spend $250 million on the Washington Post just to turn it into The Free Press until you realize the ultra wealthy are all engaged in a conspiracy to restructure society in a way that will allow them to control people's perception of reality. [embedded post]
Brad Heath / @bradheath.bsky.social: The Washington Post told employees on Wednesday that it was beginning a widespread round of layoffs that are expected to decimate the organization's sports, local news and international coverage. — www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/b...
Chris Cillizza / @chriscillizza: As someone who has been laid off from mainstream media, I have a few thoughts: 1. This is not a judgment on you. This is about a contracting industry 2. The world of independent journalism has never been more vibrant and welcoming 3. If you are laid off and in the DC area, I
@leveloneminiboss.bsky.social: Local and sports are killers. WaPo is dying. The sports page has always been one of the most read parts of the paper, and local coverage is what sets a paper apart. Without it, WaPo isn't going to do anything you can't get on cable news. [embedded post]
Margarita / @margarita.bsky.social: The main thing that the Post management seems to be immune to is launching projects that make money and retain subscribers. — Sports makes money. Local news makes money. International news makes money. — No one is gonna make a dime off of AI-powered comment sections
John Stange / @stange.shakespeareinthe.pub: My hometown's flagship paper didn't just die out of nowhere. Rich people murdered it, and journalism broadly, on purpose. [embedded post]
Mel Buer / @melbuer.bsky.social: Whatever your thoughts are about WaPo's coverage, this is a tremendous loss for the entire media ecosystem both here and abroad [embedded post]
@turbl.es: it's so exhausting to see the institutions that defined culture in your youth slowly dismantled by the worst people imaginable [embedded post]
Ann Lipton / @annmlipton@esq.social: nyt getting its licks in — “Jeff Bezos, who became one of the world's richest people by selling things on the internet, has not yet figured out how to build and maintain a profitable publication on the internet.” — https://www.nytimes.com/...
Cooper Lund / @cooperlund.online: Jeff Bezos being unable to comprehend that if you want a propaganda machine you have to give people a reason other than propaganda to read it is a great example of how our greatest advantage is how our enemies are all stick and no carrot [embedded post]
Brendel / @brendelbored.bsky.social: Bezos has the resources to make WaPo into the BEST sports outlet and BEST science outlet and BEST place to get trusted news without feeling any sort of negative financial impact but is happy to turn it into Quillette because he's lost whatever creative spark he had and turned into a vapid dullard [embedded post]
Gillian Branstetter / @gbbranstetter.bsky.social: Go slop, go flop [embedded post]
RELATED:
Brian Stelter / CNN:
In an interview, Washington Post top editor Matt Murray says Jeff Bezos supports “reinvention” and wants WaPo to be “a bigger, relevant, thriving institution” — Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos remains committed to the publication, its top editor told CNN in an interview Wednesday …
Discussion:
Fox News, @ericcasey.bsky.social, @rcmacleod.bsky.social, @j9talley, @garygrumbach, The Hill and Le Monde
Discussion:
Fox News: Washington Post's top editor backs Jeff Bezos as critics lash out over struggling paper's layoffs
Eric Casey / @ericcasey.bsky.social: Nothing has ever deserved the “sure Jan” gif more than this. [embedded post]
Riley MacLeod / @rcmacleod.bsky.social: Lol [embedded post]
Janine Talley / @j9talley: One of my best memories is when we stayed at the Waldorf Towers and I realized Katherine Graham was staying in the same building. Having two daughters with us who could possibly come close to making the same impact as her one day was incredibly encouraging. Tonight, not so much.
Gary Grumbach / @garygrumbach: CNN has placed this big interview behind a paywall, a reminder of the importance of paying for journalism.
Dominick Mastrangelo / The Hill: Washington Post laying off hundreds of journalists amid major restructuring
David Folkenflik / NPR:
An anonymous WaPo Metro staffer who was just laid off says there are now just ~12 people left on the desk, down from more than 40 — The Washington Post moved Wednesday at the behest of owner Jeff Bezos to make deep cuts to every department in the newsroom.
Discussion:
Mumbrella, ARLnow, Screen Rant, Kathleen Rudell-Brooks on LinkedIn, New Yorker, The Japan Times, Deseret News, Yahoo Finance, @leahmcelrath.bsky.social, @simonowens.bsky.social, @scalzi.com, @thrasherxy.bsky.social, twitchy.com, @drzilwhite.bsky.social, The Wrap, @juliaraifman.bsky.social, Pen Strokes, @tcobserver12.bsky.social, Media Nation, Ace of Spades HQ, @thelincoln.bsky.social, New York Post, @froomkin.bsky.social, @victoriastrauss.com, @joshuasweitz.bsky.social, @craigwelch.bsky.social, @stephengaskill.bsky.social, John Goodman on LinkedIn, @Kristian_Kiehling …, @dan-sinnamon.bsky.social and @actfortransit.bsky.social
Discussion:
Nathan Jolly / Mumbrella: Washington Post sacks one-third of its staff
Kathleen Rudell-Brooks / Kathleen Rudell-Brooks on LinkedIn: As of today, my 11-year run as a designer at The Washington Post is coming to an end. I, along with hundreds of my dedicated and talented colleagues …
Caroline Mimbs Nyce / New Yorker: Inside the Destruction of the Washington Post
Jennifer Graham / Deseret News: Layoffs and a new direction rock The Washington Post
Allie Canal / Yahoo Finance: Washington Post begins sweeping layoffs
Leah McElrath / @leahmcelrath.bsky.social: WaPo laid off one of the journalists who won a 2022 Pulitzer Prize for reporting on the January 6th attack on the Capitol. [images]
Simon Owens / @simonowens.bsky.social: Kind of incredible that Washington, DC is one of the most influential cities in the world, and yet its only newspaper thinks it's worth dedicating just 12 reporters to the local beat. [embedded post]
John Scalzi / @scalzi.com: Well, this sucks. Bezos could fully staff this thing and get it back into profitable fighting trim with what for him would be pocket change. — www.npr.org/2026/02/04/n...
@thrasherxy.bsky.social: 12 people left to cover the city of Washington, DC. 12 www.npr.org/2026/02/04/n... [embedded post]
Doug P. / twitchy.com: NY Times' Journo and Senate Dem Try to Wealth Shame Jeff Bezos After Massive WaPo Layoffs
@drzilwhite.bsky.social: #Sigh1 — I knew about the Washington Post as a kid in the 1970s due to Watergate. I started reaading it when I would visit MamaSis & family (in DMV area) in the 1990s & have kept up since then. While “national” the local coverage is great & this guts it. — www.npr.org/2026/02/04/n...
The Wrap: Ex-Washington Post Editor Marty Baron Decries Jeff Bezos' Betrayal as Staffers, Alumni Torch Paper's Bloodbath Layoffs
@juliaraifman.bsky.social: Journalism is a public good, as are public health, education, & good governance. Grateful to everyone continuing the work in whatever ways we can in hard times & hope it may lead us through to better times — Thinking of everyone affected from USAID a year ago to the Washington Post today
Nick Anderson / Pen Strokes: Democracy Dies in Weakness
Teresa Eder / @tcobserver12.bsky.social: Still remember when I was visiting the Post right after Bezos took over. Everyone back then reassured each other that there is no way he would ever lead to the demise of quality journalism and here we are: www.npr.org/2026/02/04/n...
Dan Kennedy / Media Nation: There's little new that can be said about Jeff Bezos' gutting of The Washington Post
Lincoln Michel / @thelincoln.bsky.social: Welp. Another newspaper loses its books section. Not great. www.npr.org/2026/02/04/n...
Taylor Herzlich / New York Post: Washington Post begins hundreds of newsroom layoffs as Jeff Bezos ignores reporters' pleas: report
Victoria Strauss / @victoriastrauss.com: The destruction of an institution—so sad to see. www.npr.org/2026/02/04/n...
Joshua Weitz / @joshuasweitz.bsky.social: A note of gratitude from a longtime subscriber (but not for much longer) to the reporters, editors, and staff of the Washington Post @washingtonpost.com - what used to be a central shaper of ideas and news in DC and far beyond; now diminished by its owner. — www.npr.org/2026/02/04/n...
Craig Welch / @craigwelch.bsky.social: Everything about how we got here is just heartbreakingly, mind-bogglingly, irredeemably, self-servingly stupid. — So much incredible work done under trying conditions for low pay by smart people to educate us when we desperately need it, just tossed aside. — And for what? www.npr.org/2026/02/04/n...
StephenGaskill / @stephengaskill.bsky.social: Looks like it's time to give up on the Washington Post. It's how I've started my day for more than 40 years. [embedded post]
John Goodman / John Goodman on LinkedIn: I realize LinkedIn is not the right platform for politics....but as someone who worked in the media at both ABC & CBS News. …
Kristian Kiehling / @Kristian_Kiehling@mastodon.social: MAGA collaborator and WAPO owner Jeff Bezos has instructed his newspaper to cut a third of its workforce. The layoffs will affect every area of the newsroom. Ukraine correspondent Lizzie Johnson is one of those affected. She was laid off mid-assignment while covering Russia's war crimes in Ukraine. …
Dan Sinykin / @dan-sinnamon.bsky.social: FUCK. Thinking about Jacob Brogan, Becca Rothfeld, and all the other good books people at WaPO as its Books coverage shutters — www.npr.org/2026/02/04/n...
@actfortransit.bsky.social: “The Metro section will be restructured, ensuring a “healthy presence for local subscribers,” ... there will be about a dozen people left on the desk. That's down from more than 40.” — The Washington Post used to have a whole bureau just for Montgomery County MD. www.npr.org/2026/02/04/n...
CNN:
Memo: Matt Murray says WaPo's international coverage is being markedly reduced, though some bureaus outside the US will maintain a “strategic overseas presence”
Discussion:
David Bauder / Australian Financial Review: Bezos slammed after Washington Post cuts a third of its staff
Brian Stelter / @brianstelter: I interviewed Washington Post editor Matt Murray this afternoon, hours after the most severe cutbacks in the Post's history. Here's some of what he told me >>> https://www.cnn.com/...
Jeremy Barr / @jeremymbarr: Washington Post editor in chief Matt Murray gave an interview to Fox News today. (Fox also got an interview with the Post's opinion editor a few months ago.) Asked about Will Lewis' absence today, Murray said: “He had a lot of things to tend to today.” https://www.foxnews.com/... [image]
Gamereactor UK: The Washington Post lays off hundreds in sweeping newsroom cuts: “It's an absolute bloodbath”
Dominick Mastrangelo / The Hill: Democrats knock Bezos, decry Washington Post layoffs
Jeremy Littau / @jeremylittau.com: The media biz story of the past 5+ years: we as citizens simply cannot wait around for news organizations, so deeply compromised by debt, regulatory soft spots and corporate dictates, to fix themselves. At this point we know who's who. Bet on people building something new in the ashes. [embedded post]
Business Insider: ‘Shock to the system’: Audio reveals how a top Washington Post editor explained the paper's sweeping layoffs
John Nolte / Breitbart: Serial-Lying Washington Post Staff Demand New Sugar Daddy After Jeff Bezos Hands Out Pink Slips
Ed Morrissey / HotAir: The Penny Drops: WaPo on Life Support As Big Layoffs Start?
Theodore Bunker / NewsMax.com: Former WashPost Editor Blasts Bezos Amid Layoffs
Dan Shanoff / The Athletic:
Sources: WaPo told its ~45-person sports staff that some will be re-assigned within the newsroom, as it cuts one of the great American newspaper sports sections
Discussion:
Tom Friend / Sports Business Journal: Former Washington Post sports editor Solomon: ‘We lost something very, very big’
Josh Hersh / @joshuahersh: When I wrote this otherwise bleak article for @CJR two years ago, so many people singled out the Washington Post's sports section for praise that I had to throw in a nod to it. https://www.cjr.org/...
Jack Shafer / @jackshafer: The Washington Post sports section is the first section at look at every day except Sunday, when it's books. Today, Bezos killed both of them, and put the squeeze on Metro and foreign. Thanks for nothing.
Margaret Fleming / Front Office Sports: Washington Post Eliminates Sports Department in Mass Layoffs
Gavin O'Hara / Gavin O'Hara on LinkedIn: There goes a big piece of my childhood. This one hurts a little extra. I grew up in the DC area as the child of two journalists who read the Post cover to cover every day. …
Sam Neumann / Awful Announcing: Sports media reacts to Washington Post shuttering its sports section
Alexandra Bruell / Wall Street Journal: Washington Post Lays Off Staff in Bid to Reshape Newsroom
Ken Bazinet / @kenbazinet.bsky.social: Wicked void in the MidAtlantic consumer market with Bezos killing sports coverage in the Post. — Bezos is abandoning devout fans from DC to Baltimore and Charlottesville, and he is ignoring fledgling gaming and strategy markets reliant on intel from daily coverage. — Somebody will figure this out.
Max Tani / Semafor:
Sources: WaPo Executive Editor Matt Murray says that politics and government will remain the largest desk and are central to the paper, alongside national news
Discussion:
Torr Leonard / @torrleonard.bsky.social: “lack of audience interest in President Joe Biden's administration, coupled with Facebook's decision to significantly slow the flow of online web traffic to publishers, set the paper off on a downward spiral vastly worsened by Bezos' decision not to endorse Harris in the 2024 presidential election”
@christianham.bsky.social: Knew it was coming, but this depresses me. “A sobering low for one of the world's iconic global newspapers,” indeed.
Maggie Astor / @maggieastor.bsky.social: How, precisely, do you become “more essential to people's lives” by offering them less? www.theguardian.com/media/2026/ f... [image]
The Washington Free Beacon: Downfall: Washington Post Lays Off 300 Staffers, Shuttering Sports Section and Gutting Foreign Desk as Once-Mighty Publisher Bleeds Subscribers and Money
Andrew Israel Ross / @aiross.bsky.social: The Semafor write-up makes it clear. The WaPo was doing well as a speak truth to power paper, but Bezos didn't like that and so decided to destroy it, beginning with the decision to not endorse Harris. www.semafor.com/article/02/0... [embedded post]
@furniturelink@mastodon.design: “Post employees . . . will receive six months of continued health insurance coverage.” Wow, Jeff is such a philanthropist! — https://www.theguardian.com/ ...
Dan Primack / @danprimack: “CEO Will Lewis was not on the call”
@washpostcomms:
WaPo Executive Editor Matt Murray says the paper will “concentrate on areas that demonstrate authority, distinctiveness, and impact” and today is “painful”
Discussion:
Deborah Sullivan Brennan / @deborahsbrennan …: Democracy dies in... Corporate Cost-Cutting? — apnews.com/article/wash...
Stephen Barry / @wa3zgt.bsky.social: Bezos just spent $40 M sucking up to Trump with Amazon's ‘Melania’, — but is now cutting a third of @WashingtonPost — staff - including much of the international & local teams - for “budget” reasons? — The corporate takeover of media is a real threat to the American people …
Senator Chris Van Hollen / @vanhollen.senate.gov: A devastating day for the paper of record in our nation's capital. — Bezos just spent $40M sucking up to Trump with Amazon's ‘Melania’, but is now cutting a third of @washingtonpost.com staff - including much of the international & local teams - for “budget” reasons? — (1/2)
Catherine Rampell / @crampell.bsky.social: The Washington Post laid off one-third of its staff in the newsroom and other departments — apnews.com/article/wash...
Sally Jenkins / @sallyjenki: This is a lie: “Significantly, our daily story output has substantially fallen in the last five years.” Murray and Lewis MANDATED fewer stories. They ordered it.
Anthony Edwards / @edwardsanthonyb.bsky.social: The Washington Post gutted its sports and books sections Wednesday and laid off a significant portion of its metro and foreign reporters. The Washington Post is owned by Jeff Bezos, the third richest person in the world. — apnews.com/article/wash...
Josh Marshall / @joshtpm.bsky.social: Only elites like the sports section, just has no traction for a local metro paper. apnews.com/article/wash...
Missy Khamvongsa / @missykhamvongsa: Matt Murray said the coverage from the Politics department remains the largest at The @washingtonpost and central to its mission. But national political breaking news doesn't appear to be part of the equation. I've been laid off, just shy of my 20th anniversary in the newsroom.
Brian Stelter / @brianstelter: Here is Matt Murray's full memo to the shell-shocked Post newsroom: Dear All, As we shared in our live stream earlier, the company is taking actions today to place The Washington Post on a stronger footing and better position us in this rapidly changing era of new technologies
Max Tani / @maxwelltani:
Email: Matt Murray says WaPo's organic search fell by 50% in three years, daily story output fell substantially, and “we often write from one perspective”
Discussion:
The Wrap:
Sources: WaPo plans to end the sports section in its “current form”, restructure the metro desk, and eliminate the books section as part of a “strategic reset”
Discussion:
Howard French / @hofrench.bsky.social: My first work in American newspaper journalism was as a “stringer” in West Africa for the Washington Post. This is such a tragedy. www.thewrap.com/media-platfo...
Dan Lamothe / @danlamothe: It's a dark day at The Washington Post and there's absolutely no reason to sugarcoat that.
John Nolte / Breitbart: Far-Left Washington Post Kills Podcast, Sports and Book Sections; Guts Foreign, Metro Reporting
Kenny Smith / @kennysmith.org: That was, once, one of the better sports sections in the land. — This, and the other changes, are not that strategic. [embedded post]
Katie Robertson / @katie_robertson: The Washington Post is: - closing Sports - shrinking International footprint - slimming down Metro - closing Books - suspending “Post Reports” podcast Focusing on politics and govt, national news, tech, biz and health/wellness, investigations https://x.com/...
Robert King / @rking_19: The @washingtonpost sports page has uncovered so many great stories alongside brilliant columnists. We probably would still have Dan Snyder as Commanders owner if not for the post's sexual harrassment investigations.
Joyce Park / @troutgirl.bsky.social: Sad we won't get any more of @charliejane.bsky.social's sensitive book reviews, but then I remember I canceled my Post sub a while ago so I haven't seen them for awhile anyway. [embedded post]
Brian Stelter / @brianstelter: The Washington Post is “restructuring” the Metro desk; shutting down almost the entire Sports section; closing the Books section; cancelling the daily Post Reports podcast; and drastically reducing international coverage. More to come... https://www.cnn.com/...
Jesse Dougherty / @dougherty_jesse: Well, turns out this was my last story for The Washington Post, 2,011 bylines later. For nine years, it was a dream in every sense of the word, no matter how many of the company's leaders tried to make it otherwise. Thanks for being part of the ride.
Jacob Brogan / @jacob_brogan: I'm heartbroken by the Post's decision to eliminate its books coverage. The actual fact of my job aside, the existence of a standalone books section felt like a real celebration of a culture of literacy, dialogue, and even debate. It was a place to discover and celebrate.
Andrew Golden / @andrewcgolden: I was among the many sports reporters laid off by The Washington Post today. Feeling a lot of gratitude for my time working for this paper. Not looking back. Looking ahead to what's next!
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Ex-WaPo Executive Editor Marty Baron says “this ranks among the darkest days in the history of” the paper; WaPo laid off Amazon beat reporter Caroline O'Donovan — The Washington Post, owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, is making layoffs that will eliminate “hundreds” …
Discussion:
The Guardian, Associated Press, @ceodonovan, Awful Announcing, The Wrap, The Independent, NewsMax.com, The Moderate Voice, @jeremymbarr, @corbinbolies, Talking Biz News, PBS NewsHour, Sports Business Journal, Entrepreneur, Business Insider, @noahshachtman.bsky.social, Miriam Smallman on LinkedIn, Fox News, @harrisondsmith.bsky.social, @nhannahjones.bsky.social, @laurenkaorigurley.bsky.social, @karaswisher.bsky.social, @anoraker.com, @alissawilkinson.bsky.social, Yahoo Finance, @ceodonovan, @davidakaye.bsky.social, Emily Guskin on LinkedIn, @drewharwell.com, Daniel Wolfe on LinkedIn, @davidzipper.bsky.social, @davidfolkenflik, @tierneymaps.bsky.social, @raphae.li, The 51st, @mlcalderone, @kateconger.com, Lori Montgomery on LinkedIn, @timrecuber.bsky.social, @juliaangwin.com, @kensweet, @sifu.tweety.fish, Joseph Menn on LinkedIn, @heidireinberg.bsky.social, @nhannahjones.bsky.social, @mat, @gabyhinsliff.bsky.social, @viacristiano.bsky.social, @sadbumblebee.buzz, LinkedIn News, @justinbaragona.bsky.social and @reevesjw.bsky.social
Discussion:
Jeremy Barr / The Guardian: 'It's an absolute bloodbath': Washington Post lays off hundreds of workers
David Bauder / Associated Press: Washington Post eliminates sports department and reduces overseas journalists, AP source says
Caroline O'Donovan / @ceodonovan: haven't posted here in years but uh... some news. i'm out, along with just a ton of the best in the biz. horrible.
Drew Lerner / Awful Announcing: It's unlikely Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon will address WaPo layoffs on ‘PTI’
Jacob Bryant / The Wrap: Elizabeth Warren Says Bezos Slashed Washington Post Staff to ‘Suck Up’ to Trump | Video
Justin Baragona / The Independent: ‘Bloodbath’ at Washington Post as one-third of staff laid off by Jeff Bezos
James Morley III / NewsMax.com: Democrats Blast Bezos Over Washington Post Layoffs
Joe Gandelman / The Moderate Voice: WASHINGTON POST DECIMATED BY BEZOS' DRACONIAN LAYOFFS: IT'S FUTURE MAY BE BLEAK
Jeremy Barr / @jeremymbarr: New: Statement from former executive editor Marty Baron: “This ranks among the darkest days in the history of one of the world's greatest news organizations. “The Washington Post's ambitions will be sharply diminished, its talented and brave staff will be further depleted, and
Corbin Bolies / @corbinbolies: As the Post's current owner Jeff Bezos remains silent on the paper's sweeping layoffs today, its former owner @dongrahamdc1 is reaching out directly to employees who were cut to offer a reference and to flag jobs [image]
Chris Roush / Talking Biz News: Tiku among the Washington Post layoffs
Sports Business Journal: Washington Post shuttering sports department, reassigning reporters amid widespread layoffs
Jonathan Small / Entrepreneur: The Washington Post Just Laid Off One-Third of Its Staff In a ‘Broad Strategic Reset’
Business Insider: A GoFundMe for laid-off Washington Post staffers crossed $130K in a few hours and drew a big donation from Kara Swisher
Noah Shachtman / @noahshachtman.bsky.social: Laying off @joemenn.bsky.social is the newsroom management equivalent of stapling your dick to the wall. Truly insane move, and one of many. [embedded post]
Miriam Smallman / Miriam Smallman on LinkedIn: I've been fortunate to work with many WaPo employees who were laid off today, particularly foreign correspondents. …
Harrison Smith / @harrisondsmith.bsky.social: A paper is always defined more by its staff than its management. The hundreds of journalists who lost their jobs today covered every subject imaginable, at times risking their safety and well-being to get out the news. Please consider donating: www.gofundme.com/f/standing- t...
Ida Bae Wells / @nhannahjones.bsky.social: Lessons from other eroded democracies show there're multiple ways to destroy the free press.Yes, you can arrest/intimidate journalists like last week.You can also buy news organizations, destroy their credibility and gut their newsrooms. You can sue frivolously until newsrooms can't afford to fight.
Lauren Kaori Gurley / @laurenkaorigurley.bsky.social: The Washington Post laid off hundreds of the country's most dogged reporters today, who did indispensable work holding the powerful accountable at home & abroad. We are heartbroken. — Please share with anyone who cares about the future of journalism: — www.gofundme.com/f/standing- t...
Kara Swisher / @karaswisher.bsky.social: The @washingtonpost, where I started in the mailroom, is the place that made me everything I am now. Skinflint billionaire and failed fashion model Jeff Bezos has decimated it. Well, fuck that guy and give to the people he screwed. www.gofundme.com/f/standing- t... www.gofundme.com/f/standing- t...
Josh Hendrickson / @anoraker.com: I have no words, because among the many many many people affected by this... they laid off Lizzie Johnson... while she's still on assignment in the Ukraine. In the middle of a warzone. If you can, consider donating. — www.gofundme.com/f/standing- t...
Alissa Wilkinson / @alissawilkinson.bsky.social: Here's a GoFundMe that the @postguild.bsky.social has organized to support laid-off colleagues, which I learned about through @timesguild.bsky.social colleagues ✊ — www.gofundme.com/f/standing- t...
Caroline O'Donovan / @ceodonovan: Today I was laid off from my job covering Amazon for Jeff Bezos's Washington Post.
David Kaye / @davidakaye.bsky.social: anyone - and really i mean *everyone* - who follows tech at any level knows of @joemenn.bsky.social's work. he's an essential reporter who has helped educate us for decades. this is an idiotic move that harms not just the post but all of us who rely on joe's journalism. [embedded post]
Emily Guskin / Emily Guskin on LinkedIn: Bezos devastated The Post today. It's terrible for Washington, terrible for the world and terrible for democracy. …
Drew Harwell / @drewharwell.com: We at the @postguild.bsky.social are raising money for the hundreds of journalists the Post just laid off. This goes to the people who are hurting, not the Post. Or if you'd rather, go subscribe to an independent journalist. Support is hugely appreciated. — www.gofundme.com/f/standing- t...
Daniel Wolfe / Daniel Wolfe on LinkedIn: Today I was laid off from the Post along with 300 other of my incredibly inspiring, talented colleagues. I'm so lucky to have had a dream role reporting on the things I care about. …
David Zipper / @davidzipper.bsky.social: When I worked in the DC mayor's office, my colleagues and I lived in fear of WaPo's formidable metro team. We might loathe them at time, but we always respected the hell out of them. — Solidarity with everyone affected by today's cuts.
David Folkenflik / @davidfolkenflik: Former WashPost Exec Editor Marty Baron says Bezos often “spoke forcefully and eloquently of a free press and The Post's mission, demonstrating his commitment in concrete terms... I wish I detected the same spirit today. There is no sign of it.” con't
Lauren Tierney / @tierneymaps.bsky.social: The @postguild.bsky.social has organized a layoff fund for employees impacted by layoffs at The Washington Post: — www.gofundme.com/f/standing- t...
Raphael Satter / @raphae.li: Joseph Menn has been writing about cybersecurity since well before most journalists even understood it as a beat. Big loss for the Post and its readers, but also for the industry and the wider public, who will be less informed - and less safe - as a result. [embedded post]
Abigail Higgins / The 51st: D.C. deserves better than Bezos
Michael Calderone / @mlcalderone: Marty Baron decries Jeff Bezos' betrayal, as staff, alumni slam Washington Post management for today's brutal cuts https://www.thewrap.com/...
Kate Conger / @kateconger.com: chip in to the guild fundraiser here if you can: www.gofundme.com/f/standing- t...
Lori Montgomery / Lori Montgomery on LinkedIn: If you want to help, my friend Rachel Siegel has launched a GoFundMe campaign to support the journalists laid off today at The Washington Post. …
Tim Recuber / @timrecuber.bsky.social: Billionaire tech asshole buys newspaper & lays off all the tech reporters. Leaving the press up to the “free market” has always been a huge loophole in a democracy that depends on a free press, but nobody has exploited this loophole more than our current class of oligarchs [embedded post]
Julia Angwin / @juliaangwin.com: I was so in awe on my first day at the Washington Post as an intern. It is so hard to get my head around its senseless destruction. — The only silver lining is watching the donations roll in for the Washington Post staffers. Solidarity is the only way out. — www.gofundme.com/f/standing- t... …
Ken Sweet / @kensweet: The Washington Post laid off the person who covers the Kennedy Center, at a time when the Kennedy Center is being shut down, artists are going elsewhere and the fine arts institutions in DC are in the era of Trump. I don't know what the thinking over there is at the moment.
Tweety Fish / @sifu.tweety.fish: this is just real bullshit. Joe is an incredible reporter who delivered front page scoop after front page scoop while he was at the post. Just nonsense. [embedded post]
Joseph Menn / Joseph Menn on LinkedIn: Most of the Washington Post's tech reporters were laid off today, including me. I have loved my time at the paper, which is where I wanted to work from age 15. …
Heidi Reinberg / @heidireinberg.bsky.social: My friend at the Post still has a job, but has asked that I share this for those who don't: — www.gofundme.com/f/standing- t...
Ida Bae Wells / @nhannahjones.bsky.social: Our founders, though deeply flawed, understood that democracy requires an informed citizenry and a government accountable to it people. That's why the press is the only profession protected by the Constitution. It's also why autocrats and oligarchs seek to control and destroy it.
Mat Honan / @mat: This is a reference to @ceodonovan, who I had the privilege to work with for many years. Caroline is an extremely talented reporter who would make a great addition to any newsroom.
Gaby Hinsliff / @gabyhinsliff.bsky.social: Bigger things going on today i know but watching Bezos buy, wreck, and now basically gut a media institution at a time when America really needs a free press is just such a grotesque waste. If you don't know how to run it, sell it to someone who can www.theguardian.com/media/2026/ f...
Cristiano Lima-Strong / @viacristiano.bsky.social: Devastated to see so many former colleagues I so greatly admire needlessly lose their jobs at the Washington Post. If this news makes you angry, sad, disappointed, whatever— channel that into supporting the great journalists who lost their jobs today: www.gofundme.com/f/standing- t...
Daniel Wolfe / @sadbumblebee.buzz: Today I was one of the many laid off from the Post. It is a dark day for news. For now I am going to take some time with my family before figuring out where I go from here. — In the meantime, please consider supporting my colleagues. Any contribution helps: www.gofundme.com/f/standing- t...
Rachel Kleinman / LinkedIn News: Washington Post slashes staff in ‘strategic reset’
Justin Baragona / @justinbaragona.bsky.social: The Washington Post Guild's GoFundMe to raise money for Post staffers laid off has already passed $100,000 and is quickly climbing. — Kara Swisher, a former Post employee who was rumored to be looking at heading a group to buy the paper, just tossed in $10,000. — www.gofundme.com/f/standing- t... …
RELATED:
Ruth Marcus / New Yorker:
How Jeff Bezos has forced WaPo into severe decline in Trump's second term, including today's mass layoffs that seem to transform it into a kind of Politico-lite — The Amazon founder bought the paper to save it. Instead, with a mass layoff, he's forced it into severe decline.
Discussion:
BY GLENN KESSLER, Dan Gillmor on LinkedIn, Melanie Sill on LinkedIn, Associated Press, Business Insider, Talking Points Memo, Esquire, @jackmirkinson.bsky.social, @csammells.bsky.social, @leahmillis.bsky.social, @hammancheez.bsky.social, @denk_tweets, @heatherthereporter …, @jkavanagh.bsky.social, @leahmillis.bsky.social, @timothynoah.bsky.social, @samadams.bsky.social, @susanrinkunas.com, @kristinekenyon.bsky.social, @ginnyhogan_@threads.com, @nastyagalouchka, @nitashatiku, @bgrueskin.bsky.social, @isaacstanbecker, @jackmirkinson.bsky.social, Techdirt, @whitehouse.senate.gov, @samadams.bsky.social, @brianpjcronin.bsky.social, @PeteTucker@mastodon.social, @rmac.bsky.social, @lunaluvgood2020.bsky.social, @noturtlesoup17.bsky.social, @gonebabygone.bsky.social, @gonebabygone.bsky.social, @chrislhayes.bsky.social, @susanrinkunas.com and @chuckculpepper1
Discussion:
Glenn Kessler / BY GLENN KESSLER: A Billionaire's Surrender — Bezos is not trying to save The Washington Post.
Dan Gillmor / Dan Gillmor on LinkedIn: Hungary's fascist leader, Viktor Orbán, didn't have as easy a time bringing media under his control as Trump is doing in America …
Melanie Sill / Melanie Sill on LinkedIn: I am grieving tonight for all the people at the Washington Post who lost their jobs today. I also find myself thinking of the opportunity costs …
David Bauder / Associated Press: Washington Post says one-third of its staff across all departments is being laid off
Peter Kafka / Business Insider: Blame Jeff Bezos! And then stop hoping billionaires bail out the news.
Nicole LaFond / Talking Points Memo: Bannon Describes Vision for ICE At Polling Places That Dems Have Been Warning About
Charles P. Pierce / Esquire: It's Time to Pay Our Last Respects to The Washington Post
Jack Mirkinson / @jackmirkinson.bsky.social: always bears repeating that this is NOT a financial decision. jeff bezos is worth over 250 billion dollars. he can afford to lose many millions and never even notice it. this is, at its core, a political and personal decision by bezos to destroy the post [embedded post]
Clare Sammells / @csammells.bsky.social: To all the people arguing that Bezos could easily afford to keep the Washington Post running forever — you miss the point. People don't become billionaires by making decisions to help others or society at large. They become billionaires by only thinking about what will make them richer.
@hammancheez.bsky.social: Bezos could have gone down in history as a titan of journalism and free speech and instead paid a 40 million dollar bribe to Trump's wife [embedded post]
Tyler Denk / @denk_tweets: thinking about everyone impacted by the layoffs at The Washington Post if you ever thought about going independent, we're happy to offer a year free on @beehiiv — no strings attached I know that building a media business isn't easy, so choosing the right platform is important.
Heather Kelly / @heatherthereporter@threads.com: I was laid off from The Washington Post today. I know, real original sentence. My first plagiarism in 20 years of journalism. My job was stupid fun and I loved every minute of it. I'm sad for my talented colleagues but even sadder the world will not get to read, watch and listen to their amazing work.
@jkavanagh.bsky.social: Martin Baron: — “Bezos's sickening efforts to curry favor with President Trump have left an especially ugly stain of their own. This is a case study in near-instant, self-inflicted brand destruction.”
Leah Millis / @leahmillis.bsky.social: Seems as though they have laid off their entire photography staff. Photojournalists don't just take photos, we report, we pitch, we take photos while our lives and safety are under threat. We explore our neighborhoods, restaurants and sports with a creative eye. Photojournalists do it all. …
Timothy Noah / @timothynoah.bsky.social: Jeff Bezos said this when he bought the WaPo in 2013: — “I don't think you can keep shrinking the business. You can be profitable and shrinking. And that's a survival strategy, but it ultimately leads to irrelevance, at best. And, at worst, it leads to extinction.”
Sam Adams / @samadams.bsky.social: the Washington Post effectively blew up its arts section today, dismissing its books, TV, music, and theater critics, features writers, and several editors. (I'm also guessing the vacant film critic position will stay that way.) Just an insane loss of talent and a huge self-inflicted wound.
Susan Rinkunas / @susanrinkunas.com: Former race and ethnicity reporter Emmanuel Felton wrote, “I'm among the hundreds of people laid off by The Post. This comes six months after hearing in a national meeting that race coverage drives subscriptions. This wasn't a financial decision, it was an ideological one.”
@kristinekenyon.bsky.social: Now I'm wondering if killing the Post was a sweetener part of Bezos' Blue Origin pitch to Hegseth/Trump.. bsky.app/profile/eric... [embedded post]
Ginny Hogan / @ginnyhogan_@threads.com: So I guess democracy actually dies not in darkness, but on a zoom call where you finally admit you'd rather spend $75 million on a Melania Trump documentary than on paying journalists' salaries
Anastacia Galouchka / @nastyagalouchka: For the past 4 years, I've worked with @siobhan_ogrady. She's been the best journalist and bureau chief. Nobody has been as adamant on getting the most relevant stories, nobody has been more humane and caring in their work. This is a dark day. #shame @JeffBezos [image]
Nitasha Tiku / @nitashatiku: My story on Elon Musk cutting safeguards at xAI is on the front page of today's @washingtonpost. I'm also among 100's of reporters laid off. I absolutely love(d) my job, my brilliant coworkers & the thrill of reporting at the center of forces upending the world: AI & Silicon [image]
Bill Grueskin / @bgrueskin.bsky.social: What Bezos is doing is indicative of an owner who sees his news org as a liability, and is shedding expenses as quickly as possible so he can gussy up the books and sell the Post for a slightly larger number than he would've gotten otherwise. [embedded post]
Isaac Stanley-Becker / @isaacstanbecker: If you're canceling your Washington Post subscription but still have an Amazon Prime membership, you're doing it wrong.
Jack Mirkinson / @jackmirkinson.bsky.social: bezos and the post is yet another reminder that it's impossible to have billions of dollars and operate in the public interest at the same time. nobody with that kind of money got it by looking out for other people or putting the common good first. that's why it's so antithetical to journalism
Karl Bode / Techdirt: Jeff Bezos Is Destroying What's Left Of The Washington Post To Please Our Dim, Unpopular Autocrats
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse / @whitehouse.senate.gov: The legendary Marty Baron says: “Bezos's sickening efforts to curry favor with President Trump have left ... a case study in near-instant, self-inflicted brand destruction.”
Sam Adams / @samadams.bsky.social: I understand why it's gotten buried in the news about international and sports, but one of the largest papers in the US saying it's effectively no longer interested in arts coverage (unless it has something to do with Trump) seems like kind of a big deal.
Brian PJ Cronin / @brianpjcronin.bsky.social: “But the difference with this business is it's not Pets.com. It's not a business that just disappears into the muck of venture capitalism. It's a business that is essential to the survival of the Republic, for Christ's sake. So you don't fuck around with it like that.”
Pete Tucker / @PeteTucker@mastodon.social: “I don't think the layoffs have much to do with saving money. Amazon, after all, just spent $75 million buying and promoting a documentary about Melania Trump... [Meanwhile Bezos] spent $500 million on the most expensive superyacht in the world — twice what he paid for The Post.” …
Ryan Mac / @rmac.bsky.social: That Jeff Bezos's Amazon gave Brett Ratner, someone photographed with Jeffrey Epstein and in the Epstein Files, $75 million to make a doc about Melania Trump, while he chooses to destroy The Washington Post, says about all you need to know.
@lunaluvgood2020.bsky.social: www.newyorker.com/news/annals- ... How Jeff Bezos Brought Down the Washington Post — The Amazon founder bought the paper to save it. Instead, with a mass layoff, he's forced it into severe decline.
Amanda Moore / @noturtlesoup17.bsky.social: The rumor is they laid off ALL staff photographers, but I don't have a confirmation for that yet.
@gonebabygone.bsky.social: Remembering when Bernie Sanders said Bezos' ownership was a conflict of interest by definition and people accused him of attacking a free press in the same way Trump does [embedded post]
@gonebabygone.bsky.social: If you're in the area, NewsGuild members and comrades in general are rallying in opposition the gutting of the Post and in solidarity with our comrades at their offices (1301 K) tomorrow at noon
Chris Hayes / @chrislhayes.bsky.social: I think it's best for everyone to understand that the unified class project of billionaires right now is to do to white collar workers what globalization and neoliberalism did to blue collar workers.
Susan Rinkunas / @susanrinkunas.com: “Those who were laid off include Caroline O'Donovan, the Post's beat reporter covering Amazon”
Chuck Culpepper / @chuckculpepper1: So on the 4,167th and final day of a job so exhilarating that I'd swear at least 4,000 of the days qualified as very good or better, the coffee came with whooshing thoughts of the 11 years and the four months and the 27 days. The brain tore through the datelines from 17 [image]
Ashley Parker / The Atlantic:
With the WaPo layoffs, we're seeing a business and leadership failure, and the death of a newspaper where the actual journalism still stands strong — Today's layoffs are the latest attempt to kill what makes the paper special. — We're witnessing a murder.
Discussion:
The Wrap, twitchy.com, Martine Powers on LinkedIn, @shaneharris, @floriangossy.bsky.social, @wuwei2024.bsky.social, @sallyjenki, NextDraft, Al Jazeera, @markjacob.bsky.social, @markleibovich, @peterbakernyt.bsky.social, @jswatz.bsky.social, Aftermath, @lindsaybergersacks …, @jenduende.bsky.social, The Independent, @calscherm.bsky.social, @bgrueskin.bsky.social, @randalljstephens.bsky.social, The Nation, @67rn.bsky.social, @niemanlab.org, @adriennelaf.bsky.social, Roben Farzad on LinkedIn, @jbz@indieweb.social, @teddyamen.bsky.social, @afettersmaloy, @sallyjenki, James McAuley on LinkedIn, @neontaster and Puck
Discussion:
Michael Calderone / The Wrap: How Jeff Bezos Went from Washington Post Savior to Executioner
Brett T. / twitchy.com: The Atlantic: 'We're Witnessing a Murder' of The Washington Post by Jeff Bezos
Martine Powers / Martine Powers on LinkedIn: Some news: Post Reports has come to an end — and so has my decade at The Washington Post. — Right now, mixed in with some righteous indignation …
Shane Harris / @shaneharris: I know I said I'd wait for recriminations until tomorrow. But it's nearly midnight where I am. This letter is appalling garbage. Not an ounce of responsibility taken. And some of these failed ideas came from leadership! The problems he says led to this moment are not unique to
Florian Jungnikl-Gossy / @floriangossy.bsky.social: (CEO und Publisher Will) „Lewis, who has already earned a reputation for showing up late to work when he showed up at all, did not join the Zoom. www.theatlantic.com/politics/ 202... [image]
@wuwei2024.bsky.social: Ashley Parker, “both sides lie,' lost her mind about Biden's granddaughter's wedding at the White House. Good job reporting on the crimes of the convicted felon. — www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article...
Sally Jenkins / @sallyjenki: Will Lewis never committed to a single thing while I was there. It was all talk talk talk, charts, more talk, and zero execution. My belief is he didn't want fingerprints on anything that could later be called a fail. Hence paralysis.
Dave Pell / NextDraft: Prime Suspect — Hello, I'd like to report a murder. While the plot has been in place for some time …
Mark Jacob / @markjacob.bsky.social: Ashley Parker, a former WaPo reporter who jumped to The Atlantic, rips WaPo's owner Jeff Bezos and publisher Will Lewis after huge job cuts were announced at WaPo via Zoom: — “Lewis, who has already earned a reputation for showing up late to work when he showed up at all, did not join the Zoom.”
Mark Leibovich / @markleibovich: Sling it, @AshleyRParker “Lewis, who has already earned a reputation for showing up late to work when he showed up at all, did not join the Zoom.” https://www.theatlantic.com/ ...
Peter Baker / @peterbakernyt.bsky.social: “We're witnessing a murder,” writes @ashleyrparker.bsky.social. “Jeff Bezos ... and Will Lewis, the publisher he appointed at the end of 2023, are embarking on the latest step of their plan to kill everything that makes the paper special.” www.theatlantic.com/politics/ 202...
John Schwartz / @jswatz.bsky.social: “The least cynical explanation is that Bezos simply isn't paying attention. ... Or maybe, as many of us who deeply love the Post fear, the decimation is the plan.” www.theatlantic.com/politics/ 202...
Riley MacLeod / Aftermath: They Do This Because They Can — Long-rumored cuts hit The Washington Post this morning …
Lindsay Berger Sacks / @lindsaybergersacks.bsky.social: Jeff Bezos, one of the richest people on Earth, just eliminated hundreds of union jobs at the Washington Post. — Cool legacy, bro.
@jenduende.bsky.social: “I was there. I was there. I was there. We were there.” // That's the part where the lump came into my throat and wouldn't leave. A heartfelt, devastating portrait by @ashleyrparker.bsky.social @theatlantic.com — www.theatlantic.com/politics/ 202...
Justin Baragona / The Independent: ‘Bloodbath’ at the Washington Post as roughly one-third of the staff is laid off by Jeff Bezos
Calvin Schermerhorn / @calscherm.bsky.social: Thanks @ashleyrparker.bsky.social for the requiem of The Washington Post. I too grew up reading it-and delivering it-in MD as a kid. My Dad would read aloud the Style invitational, book reviews & animal stories. I'll miss what Bezos wasted but treasure what it was — www.theatlantic.com/politics/ 202...
Bill Grueskin / @bgrueskin.bsky.social: This Parker piece brings us to an important point: — If this were truly a business-driven decision, the publisher/CEO who has utterly failed to turn around a struggling but viable business would be the one who gets the axe. — But Will Lewis remains in his job. bsky.app/profile/bgru... …
Randall Stephens / @randalljstephens.bsky.social: “We're witnessing a murder. Jeff Bezos, the billionaire owner of The Washington Post, and Will Lewis, the publisher he appointed at the end of 2023, are embarking on the latest step of their plan to kill everything that makes the paper special. The Post has survived for nearly 150 years...”
Chris Lehmann / The Nation: Jeff Bezos's Destruction of “The Washington Post” Is a Disgraceful Plutocratic Crime
Kathy Hursen / @67rn.bsky.social: When inherent prejudice and greed lead people to vote for a convicted felon and a sexual predator who preys on vulnerable children, it represents a severe moral decay, indicating a decline in their American values and decency, threatening the foundations of our society and financial stability.
@niemanlab.org: “The Post is abandoning its current audience in search of one that may not exist.” www.theatlantic.com/politics/ 202...
Adrienne LaFrance / @adriennelaf.bsky.social: “We deserve so much better.” — Read @ashleyrparker.bsky.social on what it means to love a newspaper—both for the citizens who rely on it, and the people who make it. — www.theatlantic.com/politics/ 202...
Roben Farzad / Roben Farzad on LinkedIn: When I was at Bloomberg (after it acquired BusinessWeek), there was this legend in the building that Mike Bloomberg was first approached by Don Graham …
@jbz@indieweb.social: ｢ They began 2025 by unveiling the “Big Hairy Audacious Goal” of jumping from about 2.5 million subscribers to 200 million paying users, despite having ended the previous year hemorrhaging tens of thousands of their existing subscribers, all while blaming the journalists for the paper's travails ｣ …
Teddy Amenabar / @teddyamen.bsky.social: From Ashley Parker for The Atlantic: “The Post was also how I fell in love with journalism.” — I was an avid reader of KidsPost. Back of Style, next to the comics. It's how I built a habit for reading and a love for the news. Feeling for my hometown paper today. — www.theatlantic.com/politics/ 202...
Ashley Fetters Maloy / @afettersmaloy: A few days after my mom died four years ago, I logged back into my @washingtonpost email and saw the following: dozens of kind messages from colleagues, a note from my boss rejecting my tidy little 2-day “bereavement leave” request and telling me to instead just take as much time
Sally Jenkins / @sallyjenki: This, this, this and this. The squandering and ass covering and calling it “strategy” is intolerable.
James McAuley / James McAuley on LinkedIn: This is a terrible day for American media, in a time when we need it the most. — The Washington Post is a special institution that was always …
Allie Canal / NBC News:
Trump says he will stay out of the Netflix-Paramount battle over WBD, a reversal from his December statement that he would be involved in the approval process — The president's comments to NBC News were a reversal from his December statement that he would be involved in the approval process for Netflix's deal.
Discussion:
Deadline, Reuters, Business Insider, The Hollywood Reporter, Bloomberg, Dan Gillmor on LinkedIn, @dangillmor@mastodon.social, @fergdawg.bsky.social, Cord Cutters News, @mikemcintosh.bsky.social, @iluvpolitix.bsky.social, @mcpoylesnavy.bsky.social, @meabell58.bsky.social, Barron's Online and @judiciarydems.senate.gov
Discussion:
Ted Johnson / Deadline: Donald Trump Now Says He “Shouldn't Be Involved” In DOJ Review Of A Netflix Or Paramount Acquisition Of Warner Bros.
Kelsey Vlamis / Business Insider: Trump says he's staying out of the fight between Netflix and Paramount to take over Warner Bros. Discovery
Carly Thomas / The Hollywood Reporter: Trump Says He “Shouldn't Be Involved” in Netflix-Paramount Battle Over Warner Bros.
Hadriana Lowenkron / Bloomberg: Trump Says He'll Stay Out of the Corporate Fight Over Warner Bros.
Dan Gillmor / Dan Gillmor on LinkedIn: An example of why I've come to despise Big Journalism: — This NBC News story — Trump saying he's not involved in Warner Bros. Discovery takeover contest — is pure stenography. …
Dan Gillmor / @dangillmor@mastodon.social: An example of why I've come to despise Big Journalism: — This NBC News story — Trump saying he's not involved in Warner Bros. Discovery takeover contest — is pure stenography. It never mentions that Trump lies about absolutely everything, or that he's already been involved. — https://www.nbcnews.com/...
Paul Ferguson / @fergdawg.bsky.social: I remind everyone that Trump is a sociopathic liar.
Luke Bouma / Cord Cutters News: Trump Says He Will Stay Out of Netflix's & Paramount's Fight to Buy Warner Bros. Discovery
ILuvPolitix / @iluvpolitix.bsky.social: Look, whenever Trump says he's going to do something legal and moral, he's lying, and whenever he says he's not going to do something illegal and immoral, he's lying.
Thomas Hazlett / Barron's Online: Netflix-Warner Bros Is a Marriage Made in Competition Heaven
RELATED:
Katie Campione / Deadline:
In statements to the US Senate antitrust subcommittee, the DGA, PGA, and WGA raise concerns over the WBD sale amid hearings about Netflix's pending acquisition
Katie Robertson / New York Times:
NYT reports adding 450K digital subscribers in Q4 and 1.4M in 2025 for 12.78M in total, putting it on a pace to reach its stated goal of 15M by the end of 2027 — The company reported total revenue of $802.3 million for the fourth quarter of 2025, up 10.4 percent from a year earlier.
Discussion:
Katie Robertson / @katie_robertson: News: The New York Times says it added 1.4m net digital subscribers last year, and now has nearly 13 million total subscribers https://www.nytimes.com/...
Alex Wilhelm / Cautious Optimism: Why software stocks are melting
RELATED:
The New York Times Company:
The NYT reports Q4 revenue up 10.4% YoY to $802.3M, subscription revenue up 13.9% YoY to $381.5M, and operating profit up 10.2% YoY to $161.6M; NYT drops 6.3%
Discussion:
Joe Weisenthal / @thestalwart: NYT's big bet on video is driving up costs, which is what seems to be spooking investors [image]
Anthony Lee / Yahoo Finance: Why The New York Times (NYT) Stock Is Nosediving
Jonathan Vanian / CNBC:
Snap reports Q4 revenue up 10% YoY to $1.72B, vs. $1.7B est., DAUs up 5% to 474M, vs. 478M est., and announces a $500M share buyback; SNAP jumps 7%+ after hours — Snap shares were up over 5 percent in after-hours trading on Wednesday after the Snapchat-parent released fourth-quarter earnings that beat on sales.
Discussion:
Social Media Today, The Information, Deadline, Yahoo Finance, Reuters, Barron's Online and Snap Inc., more at Techmeme »
Discussion:
Andrew Hutchinson / Social Media Today: Snapchat Faces Growth Challenges Ahead of AR Specs Launch
Catherine Perloff / The Information: Snap Reports Steady Revenue Growth in Fourth Quarter
Jaspreet Singh / Reuters: Snap reports upbeat fourth-quarter revenue as holiday season boosts ad spending
Reuters:
Amazon MGM Studio plans to develop new AI tools via its “AI Studio” to speed TV and film production and cut costs, in collaboration with AWS and LLM providers — Amazon (AMZN.O) plans to use artificial intelligence to speed up the process for making movies and TV shows …
Discussion:
TechCrunch, Albert Cheng on LinkedIn, @jameshamiltonwriter.com and Blockchain.News, more at Techmeme »
Discussion:
Lauren Forristal / TechCrunch: Amazon to begin testing AI tools for film and TV production next month
Albert Cheng / Albert Cheng on LinkedIn: The future of our business lies in defining how AI is used in film and television, as human-centered - where creative artists are involved …
James Hamilton / @jameshamiltonwriter.com: Everyone who actually makes TV and films: “we can reduce production costs if you commission original, lower budget projects, are willing to back actors who aren't household names, and dial back on bland VFX spectacle in favour of artistry” — Amazon: “haha no”
Bryan Curtis / The Ringer:
Sportswriters at WaPo say they spent the last two years seeking guidance for reinvention from top editors, but never saw leaders support visionary ideas — The Washington Post sports department was dismantled before its leaders gave it a chance to change — I don't want to hear a word …
Discussion:
New York Times, The Wrap, Associated Press, @sam4tr, @sallyjenki, @barrysvrluga, @nickfield.bsky.social, @joelanderson.bsky.social, @mattjzimmer, @jaybusbee, Naila Meyers on LinkedIn, @mattgertz.bsky.social, @brentaxemedia, @zachschermele, Newsbusters, @bryancurtis.bsky.social, @sallyjenki, @sarahscire.com, @barrysvrluga, @jonahblank.bsky.social, Kelyn Soong on LinkedIn, @alansiegella.bsky.social, @kdgscribe, @jakesherman, @stevewhitenews, @barrysvrluga, @sallyjenki, @stevewhitenews, @stefanfatsis.bsky.social, @nailajeanmeyers, @jbo_vernon and @chelsea_janes
Discussion:
Benjamin Mullin / New York Times: Washington Post Sports Department Was Among Last of Its Kind
Corbin Bolies / The Wrap: Washington Post Editor Defends Shuttering Paper's Sports Desk
Noah Trister / Associated Press: The Washington Post's sports section was a gold standard, all the way to the end
Sam Fortier / @sam4tr: I am part of the mass layoffs at the Washington Post. I am sad and angry. We all want to keep doing the work. But for now I want to document a reality of being in journalism today. [video]
Sally Jenkins / @sallyjenki: The word Washington Post staffers have for each other is love. The chilly men with no fingerprints have never understood that, or enjoyed it. [image]
Barry Svrluga / @barrysvrluga: So, finally, some thoughts on @PostSports: I, like so many of my colleagues, was laid off today as part of the Post's implosion of its Sports department. I ache for my colleagues, so many of whom are friends and so many of whom I've worked so closely with over 22+ years here.
Nick Field / @nickfield.bsky.social: “First, nostalgia does little to polish the circulating résumés of the Post sportswriters who lost their jobs. — Second, nostalgia is liable to make you wistful. What happened today should make you angry” www.theringer.com/2026/02/04/ m...
Joel D. Anderson / @joelanderson.bsky.social: my guy @bryancurtis.bsky.social nailed it here on the murder of the washington post sports section. www.theringer.com/2026/02/04/ m... [image]
Matt Zimmer / @mattjzimmer: This is a must read for journalism junkies. And very relatable for anyone who worked for a company that had no idea what it was doing. 🙋♂️
Jay Busbee / @jaybusbee: This is a smart, comprehensive and rightfully furious column on a dark day for American journalism.
Naila Meyers / Naila Meyers on LinkedIn: As an NYT Sports alum, I feel this in my bones. And I have had versions of the same conversation about “paper of record” vs. “paper of relevance” …
Matthew Gertz / @mattgertz.bsky.social: “We needed visionary leadership, and we did not have anything close to that.” www.theringer.com/2026/02/04/ m...
Brent Axe / @brentaxemedia: It's absolutely gutting this is happening and as @bryancurtis lays out here, some of the best journalists in the country were denied the chance by inept higher ups to adapt to the times. Godspeed to all of you.
Zach Schermele / @zachschermele: Couldn't agree more. This is NOT about inevitable industry trends. This is about the incompetence and indifference of specific leaders.
Curtis Houck / Newsbusters: Washington Post AXES Hundreds of Employees, Ends Sports Section, Guts Foreign, Local News
Bryan Curtis / @bryancurtis.bsky.social: Me on the death of the Washington Post sports section. — This isn't a day to be nostalgic. It's a day to be angry. — www.theringer.com/2026/02/04/ m...
Sally Jenkins / @sallyjenki: Really? Over a million people read my piece on Chris and Martina. Half a million, JB Mauney. Sports news and features commanded some seismic views. They are WSJ B teamers who dont know or care.
Sarah Scott Scire / @sarahscire.com: “If Lewis's editors had radical ideas about the Post's sports section—how to break it, how to modernize it, how to write a Wizards gamer somebody would actually read—those ideas never reached the ears of the writers I spoke to.” [embedded post]
Barry Svrluga / @barrysvrluga: Personally, this is devastating. In 2003, then-sports editor Emilio Garcia-Ruiz took a chance on me to cover Maryland men's basketball and football. He then somehow saw fit to put me on the newly relocated Montreal Expos. He changed my life. The Post changed my life.
Jonah Blank / @jonahblank.bsky.social: The #WashingtonPost has long been my go-to for sports: — ♦️NYT has spun its sports coverage off to The Athletic: I have an NYT subscription, but am not permitted to read its sports section. — ♦️I get scores from ESPN, but it collapses stories to just a few lines sandwiched between boilerplate. …
Kelyn Soong / Kelyn Soong on LinkedIn: I am devastated and heartbroken for my friends and former colleagues at The Washington Post. My first full-time job was in the Post's sports section …
Alan Siegel / @alansiegella.bsky.social: Righteous anger from @bryancurtis.bsky.social. www.theringer.com/2026/02/04/ m...
Keith Goldberg / @kdgscribe: Ex-sportswriter here. Great piece.
Jake Sherman / @jakesherman: i will miss reading @barrysvrluga on DC sports. And I hope someone is wise enough to stand something up to cover sports in this city. there's tremendous opportunity. and if someone sees this and wants to explore a DC sports publication, please let me know. i'd be glad to help in
Steve White / @stevewhitenews: What stinks is the daily sports journalism that's just gone now. Dedicated reporters, digging into interesting stories that will not be told in the pages of the Washington Post.
Barry Svrluga / @barrysvrluga: The Post made it possible. I hope the Post, in future iterations, makes it possible again. I'll finish my career here covering the Olympics from Cortina. There are still stories here I care about. Not as much as the people I worked with. Alas, what's lost has already been mourned
Sally Jenkins / @sallyjenki: Look what we had. [image]
Steve White / @stevewhitenews: WaPo has undeniably shaped modern sports media. ESPN turned to columnists like Wilbon and Kornheiser for a Sunday morning discussion show. That led to pardon the interruption, which created a framework for the daily opinion shows that now dominate sports talk radio and TV.
Stefan Fatsis / @stefanfatsis.bsky.social: Anyway read @bryancurtis.bsky.social on what happened and why it didn't have to but for management indifference and incompetence
Naila-Jean Meyers / @nailajeanmeyers: As an NYT Sports alum, I feel this in my bones. Some of my favorite people in the industry worked for @PostSports, and my heart is broken for them.
Chelsea Janes / @chelsea_janes: I, like so many people I respect and love, was laid off today. What an incredible honor it was to spend 12 years there. I am so grateful for everyone who read and encouraged and lived seasons with us. I am so sad the Post sports family won't be there to live it with you again.
Etan Vlessing / The Hollywood Reporter:
Substack hires former Google exec Mark Swierszcz as its head of partnerships in Canada, its third-largest market worldwide, as it expands beyond the US and UK — “We're moving quickly,” Farrah Storr, head of international at Substack, tells THR after hiring Mark Swierszcz as its new Canadian head …
Jennifer Maas / Variety:
Ad tech company Consumable acquires Radio.com and Mark Cuban's Fireside platform and plans to develop a streaming platform to help creators deepen audience ties — The Radio.com and Fireside acquisition by Consumable, financial details of which were not disclosed, will see the combined assets become …
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