Washington Post Loses Over 60,000 Subscribers After Newsroom Layoffs

The Washington Post lost more than 60,000 subscribers after laying off 44 percent of its newsroom staff in February, according to a report published by The New York Times on Saturday. The development was reported by TheWrap.

The report states that the sweeping layoffs were carried out under the leadership of Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon and owner of The Washington Post. According to Bezos’ decision, executive editor Matt Murray had been informed since at least November that the layoffs would take place in February. Murray is expected to remain in his role even after the departure of Chief Executive Officer Will Lewis.

Bezos’ plan aimed to cut the newsroom budget in half while doubling the productivity of the remaining staff, while preserving key areas such as investigative journalism. Murray reportedly indicated his willingness to take on this challenge.

In a statement issued after the layoffs on 7 February, Bezos said that The Washington Post continues to have an essential journalistic mission and extraordinary opportunities ahead. However, he did not mention Will Lewis in that statement. Jeff D’Onofrio was appointed interim Chief Executive Officer and publisher.

The report added that Bezos’ decision sparked resentment within the organization, while the newspaper continued to experience a steady decline in subscribers. Although a spokesperson for The Washington Post denied the claim that 60,000 subscribers had been lost, they declined to provide an alternative figure.

The situation at The Washington Post reflects the broader crisis facing the U.S. news media this year. While public trust in the media increased during the administration of Joe Biden, it is reportedly declining again during the second term of Donald Trump. Growing pressure on news organizations and the dominance of online platforms are reducing traffic, placing the commercial model of journalism under increasing strain.

DBTech/BMT/OR