The Washington Post announced Feb. 4 it is laying off about one-third of its newsroom staff in a sweeping downsizing that will sharply reduce its overseas reporting and foreign bureaus, a move that current and former journalists say will significantly reduce the paper’s international coverage. The layoffs come under owner Jeff Bezos, who purchased the publication in 2013.
The changes were announced during a Zoom call with staff by Executive Editor Matt Murray, according to a person who listened to the meeting and spoke to AP News on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it publicly.
Staff members were told they would receive emails later that morning indicating whether their positions had been eliminated, the source said.
Journalists affected by the cuts — including multiple reporters and editors covering international beats — disclosed their layoffs on social media, with several foreign correspondents describing the decision as devastating for global coverage and for colleagues reporting from conflict zones and developing regions.
I was just laid off by The Washington Post in the middle of a warzone. I have no words. I'm devastated. https://t.co/dVCLF39YV1
— lizzie johnson (@lizziejohnsonnn) February 4, 2026
Laid off from the Washington Post, along with the entire roster of Middle East correspondents and our editors. Hard to understand the logic. But I am grateful for my incredible colleagues, whose grit and dedication to the reporting and each other I will miss dearly.
— Claire Parker (@cairo_claire1) February 4, 2026
It was an honor to be @washingtonpost's first Sydney bureau chief. Unfortunately, I'm also the last. The paper is shrinking foreign coverage. I've lost my job. Worse, millions of readers will lose my colleagues' brilliant coverage. At a time of tumult, we need more info, not less pic.twitter.com/pKDan4a0Yr
— Michael Miller (@MikeMillerDC) February 4, 2026
I have been laid off today from the @washingtonpost, along with most of the International staff and so many other wonderful colleagues. I’m heartbroken for our newsroom and especially for the peerless journalists who served the Post internationally — editors and correspondents…
— Ishaan Tharoor (@ishaantharoor) February 4, 2026
About 300 journalists are expected to lose their jobs, shrinking the newsroom to roughly 500 reporters and editors, according to a report from The Independent.
Murray acknowledged during the call that the reductions would be a “shock to the system” but said they were necessary to stabilize the paper after years of financial losses and to position it for future growth, according to the source who listened to the meeting.
As part of the restructuring, the Post is eliminating its standalone sports department, closing its books department, significantly scaling back foreign bureaus, restructuring Washington-area local news and editing teams, and suspending its flagship podcast, “Post Reports,” the source said.
Marty Baron, a former executive editor of the outlet, sharply criticized the decision, calling it “among the darkest days in the history of one of the world’s greatest news organizations.” He said the layoffs would diminish the paper’s ambitions and deprive the public of vital local and international reporting.
The Washington Post Guild, which represents newsroom employees, said the cuts would weaken the paper’s credibility and reach.
“A newsroom cannot be hollowed out without consequences,” the union said, adding that it plans to protest the layoffs.
The Post has faced mounting financial pressure amid industry-wide declines and subscriber losses. More than 200 employees left through buyouts in 2023, followed by additional departures last year, according to The Independent. Some staff members described the latest round of cuts as a “bloodbath” and a “dismantling” of the 150-year-old institution.