Washington Post closes sports department as part of sweeping layoffs
The Washington Post instructed employees to stay home on Wednesday and attend a Zoom webinar where significant layoffs were announced, and entire departments were shuttered.
"We will be announcing significant actions across the company today. We are asking everyone to stay home this morning for a Zoom webinar at 8:30 a.m. ET to share details. We will be sending a detailed invite later this morning. Please make every effort to join," executive editor Matt Murray and human resources chief Wayne Connell wrote.
On the Webinar, Murray announced a significant headcount reduction. Impacted employees will receive an email about their fate.
The Post is shuttering the sports desk in its current form, dialing back its international footprint, making Metro more "nimble and focused" and eliminating Books. A third of the company has been impacted, Fox News Digital has learned.
"People still in shock… this is the end of the institution. They’ve lost the trust of the newsroom. Anyone who wasn’t laid off today will be looking for a new job," a Washington Post insider told Fox News Digital.
Washington Post staffers have been aggressively tweeting at billionaire owner Jeff Bezos, urging him to save the paper. A Washington Post insider pointed out that staffers were "leaving on their own accord," even before the cuts were formally announced, citing three who fled to the Post's top rival, The New York Times.
As the webinar wrapped, The Washington Post Guild took to social media to announce a #SaveThePost rally that will take place on Thursday.
"These layoffs are not inevitable," the Guild said. "A newsroom cannot be hollowed out without consequences for its credibility, reach and its future."
This is a developing story, more to come…