The Washington Post on Tuesday began laying off employees across its business functions as the paper looks to cut 4 percent of its staff amid a changing business landscape.
A spokesperson said the Post “is continuing its transformation to meet the needs of the industry, build a more sustainable future and reach audiences where they are."
The Washington Post has struggled to turn a profit in recent years, as its digital subscription business has failed to offset declining print revenue and the cost of its newsroom. Will Lewis, the publisher of The Post, said in a meeting last year that in 2023, The Post lost $77 million and had suffered a falloff in its digital audience since 2020.
The Post has been in turmoil for much of Mr. Lewis’s tenure, which began a year ago. Sally Buzbee stepped down as the paper’s executive editor in June. Rob Winnett, the editor Mr. Lewis had initially selected to replace Ms. Buzbee, withdrew himself from that position. The newspaper also experienced a backlash among its subscribers over a decision to end its decades-long practice of endorsing presidential candidates. Ann Telnaes, the newspaper’s Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist, stepped down last week after the opinions section rejected a cartoon depicting Jeff Bezos, the Amazon founder who owns The Post, genuflecting toward a statue of President-elect Donald J. Trump. (NYT)
According to an internal note from company leadership, 73 positions have been cut from its advertising department.
73 of the positions eliminated at The Washington Post today are coming from the newspaper's advertising division. Here's the internal memo: pic.twitter.com/EmIlJAFFRv
— Ben Mullin (@BenMullin) January 7, 2025
“Changes across our business functions are all in service of our greater goal to best position The Post for the future,” the spokesperson’s statement added.
The Post's newsroom will not be affected by the latest cuts.
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