TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Washington Post on Wednesday began implementing large-scale job cuts at the newspaper, according to media reports.
There had been speculation in recent weeks that the paper was planning layoffs, since the sports staffers who had arranged to cover the Winter Olympics in Italy were told they would not be going. The Post had said in response that it would send a limited staff to Milan.
What Do We Know About the Washington Post Layoffs?
Nearly one-third of the Washington Post's staff across different departments will be cut, the Associated Press (AP) reported, citing a representative from the paper.
According to the AP, the paper's executive editor, Matt Murray, announced the job cuts in a video meeting with staff.
Murray reportedly told staff members that the books department will be closed, local Washington news department and editing staff will be restructured and the "Post Reports" podcast will be suspended.
The paper is also closing its sports department and largely cutting the number of its overseas journalists.
Why Is the Washington Post Cutting Jobs?
In a statement cited by the AP, the Post said it is "taking a number of difficult but decisive actions today for our future, in what amounts to a significant restructuring across the company."
"These steps are designed to strengthen our footing and sharpen our focus on delivering the distinctive journalism that sets the Post apart and, most importantly, engages our customers," it added.
The Washington Post Guild, the union for staff members, said that "a newsroom cannot be hollowed out without consequences for its credibility, its reach and its future."
The Guild called out the paper's billionaire owner, Jeff Bezos, saying that if he was "no longer willing to invest in the mission that has defined this paper for generations [...] then the Post deserves a steward that will."
Bezos has been partly blamed for the fall of subscriptions, especially after a decision to break away from the tradition of endorsing presidential candidates. He has also maintained close ties with US President Donald Trump's administration.
Before Bezos bought the paper in 2013, it was in the hands of the Meyer-Graham family since 1933.
The publication became world-renowned for its breaking of the Watergate scandal, which led to the 1974 resignation of President Richard Nixon over illegal activities carried out by the White House.
The newspaper has won more than 76 Pulitzer Prizes since 1936.
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