The Washington Post, which is owned by Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon.com, started significant layoffs on Wednesday that will greatly reduce the size of the historic newspaper and impact all departments. A company-wide call shared with Reuters revealed that about a third of all employees will be affected. The newsroom is expected to lose “hundreds” of staff members, as stated by a spokesperson from the Washington-Baltimore News Guild union, which represents the Post's workers. Executive Editor Matt Murray announced these cuts, which will affect the international, editing, metro, and sports desks, just days after the newspaper, established in 1877, reduced its coverage of the 2026 Winter Olympics due to increasing financial losses. During the call, Murray explained, “For too long, we’ve operated with a structure that’s too rooted in the days when we were a quasi-monopoly local newspaper,” and emphasized the need for “a new way forward and a sounder foundation.” The Washington Post is facing major changes in its readership and revenue. Other major daily newspapers, like the Los Angeles Times, are also struggling as more people turn to social media for news. One Post reporter, who wished to remain anonymous, referred to the layoffs as a “bloodbath.” Among those affected are Amazon reporter Caroline O’Donovan, Cairo Bureau Chief Claire Parker, and the entire team of Middle East correspondents and editors, according to social media posts from O’Donovan and Parker. The Washington Post stated, “We are taking a number of difficult but decisive actions today for our future, in what amounts to a significant restructuring across the company.” They added that these measures are meant to strengthen their position and focus on delivering the unique journalism that distinguishes The Post and engages its readers. Bezos purchased the newspaper in 2013 for $250 million from the Graham family.
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