The Washington Post laid off 20 of its newsroom staffers and discontinued its gaming section and KidsPost, their news and features section aimed at children, the outlet announced on Tuesday.
“While such changes are not easy, evolution is necessary for us to stay competitive, and the economic climate has guided our decision to act now,” Washington Post executive editor Sally Buzbee wrote in a note to staff. “We believe these steps will ultimately help us to fulfill our mission to scrutinize power and empower readers.”
Buzbee added that the company is “not planning further job eliminations at this time.”
The layoffs come after Post publisher Fred Ryan outraged staffers last month when he announced that a “number of positions” would be terminated at the beginning of 2023.
The Washington Post via Getty Images Executive Editor, Sally Buzbee, speaks after the paper was awarded the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service as employees gather in the newsroom to watch the presentations on May 09, 2022, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
The company also announced that it would keep another 30 vacancies unfilled.
The layoffs also came days after Post owner Jeff Bezos made a surprise appearance in the company’s newsroom where he “asked about the state of the business and why some journalists and executives were leaving,” according to the Post.
However, it was reported this week that Besoz may sell the Post to fund the purchase of the NFL’s Washington Commanders.
The Washington Post Guild denounced the company’s move and argued there “should be zero” layoffs.
“While the number of people affected is reportedly far smaller than what Publisher Fred Ryan initially alluded to in his layoff announcement at last month’s town hall, we believe any job eliminations right now are unacceptable,” the Washington Post Guild told Axios. “The number should be zero.”
“But to be clear, we believe any job eliminations right now — at a time of continued growth and expansion — are unacceptable,” the Guild reportedly said. “To our colleagues impacted today, we are sorry, and we’re here for you.”
Jordan Dixon-Hamilton is a reporter for Breitbart News. Write to him at jdixonhamilton@breitbart.com or follow him on Twitter.
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