Washington Post Slashes Jobs, Shuts Sports Desk in Major Media Restructuring

According to reports, the Post is shutting down the current Sports Desk and scaling down its international reportage footprint. Fox News reported that a third of the company has been affected by the layoffs.

Staff members in the newsroom were told they would be getting emails with one of two subject lines, announcing that the person's role has or hasn't been eliminated, reported News Nation.

"The Washington Post 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," a Washington Post spokesperson told Fox News.

Retired Executive Editor of the Post, Mary Baron was quoted by The Wrap as saying, "This ranks among the darkest days in the history of one of the world's greatest news organizations. The Washington Post's ambitions will be sharply diminished, its talented and brave staff will be further depleted, and the public will be denied the ground-level, fact-based reporting in our communities and around the world that is needed more than ever."

Reports say, the cuts at the post also include closing the Books section, canceling the Post Reports podcast, and significantly reducing Metro and international coverage.

The Post is owned by billionaire Jeff Bezos. The Washington Post Guild, the union for staff members, had appealed to the public to send a message to Bezos: "Enough is enough. Without the staff of The Washington Post, there is no Washington Post."

The guild also opposed further staff cuts and said this will only weaken the newspaper, drive away readers and undercut the Post's mission to hold Power to account.

- ANI