On the 14th of December, The Washington Post publisher Fred Ryan announced during a meeting with the employees that the company would eliminate some positions in 2023.
Elaborating on the announcement he said that some positions will be from the newsroom, backing the company’s step Ryan said that steps were being taken to expand the company’s coverage areas.
It is pertinent to mention here that less than a week ago, Washington Post lost around 500,000 subscribers ever since Joe Biden started his tenure.
It is said that the layoffs will be in a single-digit percentage and thus won’t affect the overall headcount of the newsroom as The WaPo would hire people from other areas. At present, the company is functioning with nearly around 2500 employees.
WaPo’s report suggested that Ryan said the layoffs would be for the positions that are “no longer serving readers”. It is unclear if WaPo will continue to pay authors like Rana Ayyub, who are not regular contributors.
After the meeting, Washington Post Guild leaders expressed their anguishes over the move and labeled it as an “unceremonious announcement”. The Guild released a statement over the move that read, “This behavior is unacceptable from any leader, but especially the leader of a news organization whose core values include transparency and accountability. There is no justification for The Post to lay off employees during record growth and hiring.”
Detailing the statement, the company said that layoffs were part of a plan to “invest in coverage, products, and people in service of providing high value to our subscribers and new audiences. The Washington Post is evolving and transforming to put our business in the best position for future growth.”
The lower subscriber base of ‘The Washington Post’ has affected the company’s advertising market. Media houses across the United States have recently seen a steep fall in revenue from advertisements. Moreover, adding to the employee’s agony the company has also taken a call to shut down the print edition of its standalone magazine.
The ten employees linked to the magazines would leave the company. The last issue of the magazine is planned for December 25. Recently, Chief Information Officer Shailesh Prakash, Chief Communication Officer Kris Coratti, Chief Product Officer Kat Downs, and Vice President of Audience Development and Analytics Beth Diaz have left the company.
In addition to these key people, Managing Editor Steve Ginsberg has also announced his departure as he would join NYT as Executive Editor of The Athletic in January 2023. Reports suggest that employees at WaPo have raised questions about the company’s business strategies and work-from-home policy.
Following the announcement associated with the layoffs, the writers have approached Union, expressing their willingness to join. Apart from WaPo, CNN, Vox Media, and Gannett have reduced the workforce at their offices.