Jeff Bezos Killed the Washington Post
The billionaire wanted the Post to die because a vigorous, well-resourced newspaper does not help his bottom line.
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Washington Post Lays Off 300 Journalists, Citing Industry Headwinds
The Washington Post eliminated approximately 300 positions on Wednesday in a significant restructuring that has drawn scrutiny over the role of owner Jeff Bezos in the newspaper's direction.
The layoffs affected multiple departments, including the majority of the sports section staff, several international correspondents, and metro reporters covering the Washington, D.C. region. Among those dismissed was Caroline O'Donovan, the paper's dedicated Amazon reporter. One journalist learned of the job elimination while reporting from Kyiv, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Executive Editor Matt Murray addressed staff in an email, attributing the cuts to structural challenges facing the news industry. "The ecosystem of news and information, on- and off-platform, is changing radically," Murray wrote, citing a "serious decline" in search traffic and increased competition from digital platforms.
The reductions come more than a decade after Bezos, the Amazon founder and one of the world's wealthiest individuals, purchased the newspaper from the Graham family for $250 million in 2013. At the time, Bezos wrote to employees that "the paper's duty will remain to its readers and not to the private interests of its owners."
Critics have questioned whether Bezos's other business interests have influenced editorial decisions. Blue Origin, his aerospace company, received a high-profile visit from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth this week to discuss a government partnership. The Post has also published coverage critical of the Trump administration, whose regulatory approach could affect both Amazon and Blue Origin.
The layoffs follow a period of subscriber losses. In late 2023, the Post declined to issue a presidential endorsement, a decision reportedly influenced by Bezos that resulted in the departure of approximately 250,000 paying subscribers. The opinion section was subsequently restructured to emphasize "personal liberties and free markets."
Publisher Will Lewis, who joined the paper last year, was not present for the Zoom call in which staff were notified of the layoffs, according to multiple reports.
The Washington Post Guild, which represents newsroom employees, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A spokesperson for the Post referred inquiries to Murray's staff communication.
Industry analysts note that the newspaper sector has faced sustained pressure from digital platforms, with artificial intelligence tools now diverting additional search traffic that previously drove advertising revenue. The Post's reductions follow similar cuts at other major publications in recent years.