Tharoor confirmed the layoff in a post on social media platform X, describing it as a “very sad day” for the newsroom. He said several journalists from the Post’s international team were dismissed, calling the development deeply distressing for staff who had built their careers at the publication.
The layoffs, announced on Wednesday, form part of a broader overhaul as the newspaper grapples with falling revenues and changing reader habits. More than 300 journalists are believed to have been impacted out of a newsroom of roughly 800 employees, marking one of the largest job cuts in the Post’s history.
As part of the restructuring, the Washington Post has shut down its Sports section entirely, though a limited number of reporters will be shifted to the Features department to cover sports-related culture. The Books section has been closed, local news coverage scaled back, and the daily news podcast Post Reports discontinued.
Explaining the decision, Executive Editor Matt Murray told employees the newspaper had failed to adequately meet readers’ needs amid rapid technological change and evolving consumption patterns. Calling the move painful but unavoidable, Murray said the Post could no longer afford to be “everything to everyone” and would instead focus on core areas such as national news, politics, business and health.
The cuts have hit the Post’s international operations particularly hard. Reporters and editors based in the Middle East, India and Australia were laid off, with Cairo bureau chief Claire Parker saying the entire Middle East reporting team had been dismissed. War correspondent Lizzie Johnson, who covered Ukraine, was also among those let go.
Employees were informed via email following a company-wide meeting. Those affected will remain on the rolls until April 10 without reporting to work and will receive health insurance coverage for six months.
Former executive editor Martin Baron criticised the decision, warning it risked long-term damage to the newspaper’s reputation. Founded in 1877, the Washington Post is widely regarded as one of the most influential news organisations in the United States.
The layoffs follow mounting losses, estimated at $77 million in 2023 and nearly $100 million in 2024. Industry analysts attribute the decline to shrinking digital advertising, reduced search traffic due to generative AI tools, and subscription cancellations, which reportedly intensified after the Post chose not to endorse a candidate in the 2024 US presidential election.
