Jeff Bezos-Owned Washington Post Announces ‘Painful’ Job Cuts, One-Third Staff Laid Off

Last Updated:February 04, 2026, 23:28 IST

The layoffs affect the newsroom, sports desk, books department, local news teams, graphics staff, and several overseas bureaus.

The building of the Washington Post newspaper headquarter is seen on K Street in Washington DC. (AFP file photo)

The Washington Post on Wednesday laid off roughly one-third of its staff across all departments, in what executive editor Matt Murray described as a “painful" but necessary restructuring to secure the paper’s future.

Murray told employees the newspaper was undergoing a “strategic reset" to better position itself in a crowded and competitive media landscape.

“Today, the Washington Post is taking a number of actions across the company to secure our future," he said during a Zoom call with staff. “We all recognize the actions we are taking today will be painful – most of all, of course, for those of you who are directly affected, but for everybody."

The layoffs affect the newsroom, sports desk, books department, local news teams, graphics staff, and several overseas bureaus. Murray said the Post’s international reporting will be scaled back, but about 12 bureaus will remain, focusing on national security issues. Its popular daily podcast, Post Reports, will also be suspended.

He noted that the largest remaining team will concentrate on politics, government, national news, and features covering science, health, technology, climate, and business. Staff who have been laid off will remain on the payroll till April 10, with six months of continued health insurance, though they will not be required to work.

The layoffs mark a historic moment for the Post, owned by by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos since 2013, which gained legendary status for its role in uncovering the Watergate scandal and has continued to influence American journalism.

Former executive editor Marty Baron, who retired in 2021, called the job cuts “among the darkest days in the history of one of the world’s greatest news organisations," while noting the financial pressures faced by the newspaper.

The Washington Post Guild, representing staff, criticised the reductions, warning that hollowing out the newsroom could damage the paper’s credibility and reach.

They called on supporters to rally outside the newspaper’s Washington headquarters, saying: “If Jeff Bezos is no longer willing to invest in the mission that has defined this paper for generations and serve the millions who depend on Post journalism, then The Post deserves a steward that will."

(With inputs from agencies)

News world Jeff Bezos-Owned Washington Post Announces ‘Painful’ Job Cuts, One-Third Staff Laid Off

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