Washington Post Layoffs Decimate Liberal Newspaper

The Washington Post announced sweeping layoffs at the venerable newspaper that will result in the loss of some 300 newsroom jobs. Among the cutbacks are correspondents and editors in the Middle East and the closure of the sports department. The cuts effectively gut the newspaper that had been a favorite of the liberal elite for decades under the ownership of the Graham family and is now teetering on the edge of a complete shutdown.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who bought the paper in 2013 in an attempt to keep the paper running as news consumption trends were changing from the printed page to digital offerings, was seen by liberals as a savior at that time. They changed their mind when, in 2024, he ordered the paper to pull an endorsement of Kamala Harris for president, which resulted in the loss of tens of thousands of subscribers at a time when the paper could least afford it.

Executive editor Matt Murray defended the decision and called it a “reset” day and vowed that the paper will be poised for growth going forward.

Unlike the New York Times, which was facing severe financial issues several years ago, but has managed to monetize its assets and thrive in the new age of news and information, the Post has lumbered along and was much slower to adapt, preferring to rest on its laurels.

The Post infamously changed its tagline during the first Trump administration to “Democracy Dies in Darkness.” Now it looks like the Post is near death instead.