WASHINGTON. The Washington Post implemented a sweeping reduction of its workforce on Wednesday, February 4, 2026. This restructuring eliminated nearly one-third of the organization's staff as part of a pivot toward a more narrow editorial focus.

The Core Report

Executive Editor Matt Murray confirmed the layoffs during a morning call with newsroom employees. The cuts impacted more than 300 journalists from a newsroom that previously housed approximately 800 staff members. Every department within the publication faced some level of reduction. The sports department was entirely eliminated. Select reporters will transition to the features desk to cover the culture of athletics.

Local and international coverage suffered significant losses. Reporters stationed in the Middle East, India, and Australia were among those dismissed.

The Metro section will shrink while the books department and the daily news podcast, Post Reports, will cease operations entirely. One Ukraine correspondent was reportedly laid off while reporting from a combat zone. A sports reporter currently in Italy for the Winter Olympics intends to continue filing stories despite losing his position. Photography was also hit hard. All staff photographers were reportedly cut from the payroll.

Internal messages among staff simply read "Eliminated" as the layoff emails arrived.

Key Statements

Murray stated that the organization had lost too much money for too long. He noted that search traffic had fallen by nearly half over the last three years. He cited the rise of generative artificial intelligence as a primary factor for this decline. The goal of the restructuring is to make the paper essential in a crowded landscape. He claimed the publication was too rooted in a print-era model that no longer served its current digital needs.

Peter Finn, the editor of the international section, requested to be laid off himself rather than execute the planned cuts.

Background & Context

Jeff Bezos purchased the publication in 2013 and initially oversaw a period of aggressive expansion. However, the business model has faltered. In 2023, the paper reported a loss of 77 million dollars. Publisher Will Lewis has attempted to integrate artificial intelligence into comments and news aggregation to stem the decline. Audiences have halved in recent years. This led to a precarious financial standing for the historic outlet.

Hundreds of thousands of readers canceled their subscriptions in late 2024.

This mass cancellation followed a decision by Bezos to block a drafted endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris. That move ended the paper's long-standing tradition of presidential endorsements. Former executive editor Marty Baron described the current situation as one of the darkest days in the history of the news organization. He warned that the paper's ambitions would be sharply diminished moving forward.

What's Next

The Washington Post will now focus its resources on national politics, business, health, and wellness. It remains to be seen if this narrowed scope will be enough to achieve the profitability demanded by its owner. Murray suggested that the newsroom footprint might grow again in the future. For now, the priority is survival through drastic consolidation. The staff that remains must navigate a landscape where local and international eyes have been significantly reduced.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did The Washington Post lay off 30 percent of its staff?

The organization reported significant financial losses, including a 77 million dollar deficit in 2023. Executive Editor Matt Murray cited a 50 percent drop in search traffic over three years and a failure to meet modern reader needs as primary drivers for the restructuring.

Is The Washington Post closing its sports department?

Yes. The sports department has been eliminated as a standalone section. While the department is gone, a small number of sports reporters will move to the features department to cover the cultural aspects of sports rather than traditional daily beat reporting.

How many journalists were affected by the 2026 layoffs?

More than 300 journalists were laid off from a newsroom of approximately 800 people. This was part of a broader company-wide cut that reduced the entire workforce by roughly 30 percent.

Who is the current owner of The Washington Post?

The Washington Post is owned by Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon. He purchased the publication in 2013. Despite his personal wealth, the paper has struggled to maintain profitability in the current digital media environment.

Which editorial sections were eliminated or reduced?

The sports and books sections were closed entirely, along with the Post Reports podcast. The Metro and international sections were significantly reduced in size. International bureaus in the Middle East, India, and Australia saw staff cuts.

How did the 2024 presidential endorsement controversy affect the paper?

The decision by Jeff Bezos to block an endorsement of Kamala Harris led to the cancellation of hundreds of thousands of subscriptions. This event exacerbated the financial difficulties the paper was already facing due to declining advertising and traffic.

Will The Washington Post still cover local news?

The Metro section will continue to exist but in a much smaller capacity. The leadership has indicated a strategic shift away from being a dominant local print product toward becoming a national digital publication focused on politics and health.