Washington Post cuts one-third of staff, Shashi Tharoor’s son laid off
The Post's executive editor, Matt Murray, called the move painful but necessary to put the outlet on stronger footing and to weather changes in technology and user habits
The Washington Post newspaper laid off one-third of its staff on Wednesday (February 4), eliminating its sports section, several foreign bureaus and its books coverage in a widespread purge that represented a brutal blow to journalism and one of its most legendary brands.
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor’s son Ishaan Tharoor was among the 300 journalists and staff laid off at the American news outlet.
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The Post's executive editor, Matt Murray, called the move painful but necessary to put the outlet on stronger footing and to weather changes in technology and user habits. "We can't be everything to everyone," Murray said in a note to staff members.
He outlined the changes in a companywide online meeting, and staff members then began getting emails with one of two subject lines – telling them their role was or was not eliminated.
Ishaan’s X post
In a post on his X (Formerly Twitter), Ishaan said, “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 who have been my friends and collaborators for almost 12 years. It’s been an honor to work with them (sic).”
“I launched the WorldView column in January 2017 to help readers better understand the world and America’s place in it and I’m grateful for the half a million loyal subscribers who tuned into the column several times a week over the years,” he added.
Journalists plead with Bezos
"It's just devastating news for anyone who cares about journalism in America and, in fact, the world," said Margaret Sullivan, a Columbia University journalism professor and former media columnist at the Post and The New York Times.
"The Washington Post has been so important in so many ways, in news coverage, sports and cultural coverage." Martin Baron, the Post's first editor under its current owner, billionaire Jeff Bezos, condemned his former boss and called what has happened at the newspaper "a case study in near-instant, self-inflicted brand destruction."
Journalists pleaded with Bezos for help and he has been silent in recent weeks amid pleas from Post journalists to step in and prevent the cutbacks, had no immediate comment.
(With agency inputs)