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The Washington Post began laying off its employees, just days after billionaire owner Jeff Bezos made an unusual visit to the newspaper’s newsroom.
The outlet fired 20 journalists on Tuesday and announced it was vacating 30 current jobs.
Layoffs were expected at the newspaper after profits fell for the first time in years, and tensions rose within the editorial team over how the office is run.
Just four days ago, Bezos visited the Post’s Washington DC headquarters, a move that comes as rumors are circulating that he plans to sell the paper and buy the Washington Commanders NFL team instead.
The Washington Post fired 20 journalists on Tuesday and announced it was vacating 30 current jobs.
Jeff Bezos visits the Washington Post headquarters in Washington DC in 2016
The newspaper cuts were first raised by chief operating officer Fred Ryan, who said the company “cannot continue to invest resources in initiatives that don’t meet the needs of our customers.”
The Post made annual profit every year after Bezos bought it in 2013, but that upward trend began to slow in 2021 after the Trump years ended.
The newspaper said it would remove its esports and gaming vertical, Launcher, along with its children’s section, KidsPost.
But this week’s layoffs are much better than predictions Chief Operating Officer Fred Ryan gave weeks ago when he suggested up to 100 positions could be cut from his writing staff of 1,000.
After Tuesday’s layoffs, Ryan assured staff that the headcount would stay the same or increase by the end of 2023.
The Washington Post headquarters in Washington DC. Bezos visited four days ago
Sally Buzbee, executive editor of the Washington Post, said there will be no more staff cuts at the Post.
The Washington Post’s executive editor, Sally Buzbee, sent a note to staff saying there will be no further staff cuts beyond Tuesday at this time.
“While such changes are not easy, evolution is necessary for us to remain competitive, and the economic climate has guided our decision to act now,” he wrote. “We believe these steps will ultimately help us fulfill our mission of seizing power and empowering readers.”
Buzbee added that managers tried to focus on eliminating job openings rather than cutting staff and said the economy was partly to blame for the layoffs.
The Washington Post’s staff union, the Washington Post Guild, issued a strong statement against the firings.
“We believe that any job cuts at this time, at a time of continued growth and expansion, is unacceptable,” the union wrote in a message to its members.
The newspaper cuts were first raised by chief operating officer Fred Ryan, who said the company “cannot continue to invest resources in initiatives that don’t meet the needs of our customers.”
The Washington Post employees’ union, the Washington Post Guild, issued a strong statement against the firings.
Mike Hume, the editor of Launcher, took to Twitter to say that the cut of his team and section was “awesome.”
“This news is sad, disturbing, and perhaps most of all, mind-blowing. Over three years, Launcher attracted more than tens of millions of users, most of them first-time readers of The Post and nearly all under the age of 40,” he wrote.
‘What makes this news so difficult is that Launcher was working fine! In 2022, Launcher traffic increased year on year,” he added. ‘We were succeeding in our mission. I am stunned. But most of all it is sad to lose such wonderful, dedicated and caring colleagues.
Hume also thanked his team members, describing them as “top-notch” journalists.
Billionaire Jeff Bezos bought the Washington Post in 2013 for $250 million.
During Bezos’s visit last week, he took part in an editorial meeting, telling attendees: “I’m delighted to be here and see all these faces,” according to the New York Post. Thanks for letting me listen.
After the meeting, a staffer approached Bezos and demanded answers about the layoffs.
Bezos reportedly responded that he was not there to answer questions, but to listen.
“I’m engaged,” he told the clerk, according to the Post. Trust me, I’m engaged.
Bezos bought the Washington Post for $250 million, but the New York Post is now reporting that Bezos is “seeking to clear the way” to get the Commanders from owner Dan Snyder.