Business and sports journalists were among the first to lose their jobs as The Washington Post carried out sweeping layoffs. The cuts also extended across editorial and business operations. More than 300 journalists were affected. Thirty per cent of the total workforce has been laid off.
The sports department has been eliminated in its current form.
The sports desk, it’s evident even in India, is the most vulnerable when news organisations go lean. Imagine a Grand Slam final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. The kind of match tennis waits years to watch. Every rally draws gasps; every point carries weight. But there is no sports correspondent courtside. No live file moving with the match. No trained observer to record what the moment feels like as it happens.
The international desk has also been sharply reduced. Several business-side roles have been cut. The layoffs span all departments. The impact has been described as company-wide.
The Washington Post confirmed that Ishaan Tharoor, a foreign affairs columnist and son of diplomat and politician, Shashi Tharoor, was laid off.
Pranshu Verma, the paper’s New Delhi bureau chief, was also given the pink slip. Both were part of the international coverage team.
After being laid off, Ishaan Tharoor 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.”
He added, “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.”
Pranshu Verma wrote on X, “Heartbroken to share I’ve been laid off from The Washington Post. Gutted for so many of my talented friends who are also gone. It was a privilege to work here the past four years. Serving as the paper’s New Delhi bureau chief was an honor.”
It’s reported that the paper plans to retain some reporters. They will move to features roles. They will also cover sports as a cultural and societal phenomenon. The same sources said the international footprint will shrink. All departments will be affected. Reports said the sports department has been closed.
Executive Editor Matt Murray announced the cuts on a call with employees. “We will be closing the sports department in its current form,” he was quoted as saying.
He added, “All departments are impacted. Politics and government will remain our largest desk and will remain central to our engagement and subscriber growth.”
“The actions we are taking include a broad strategic reset with a significant staff reduction.”
The layoffs come days after the paper scaled back coverage of the 2026 Winter Olympics. The decision was linked to mounting financial losses. The newspaper is more than 145 years old. Last year, it announced job cuts across business functions. At the time, it said the newsroom would not be affected.
The Washington Post is owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. The company has been cutting costs for several years. In 2023, it offered voluntary separation packages across all functions. The move followed losses of $100 million.
In a letter dated January 29, the paper’s White House staff wrote to Bezos. They said their most impactful coverage depends on teams at risk of job cuts. They said a diversified newsroom is essential amid financial pressure.
Will Lewis was hired in 2023 to help the paper. In 2024, he warned of serious trouble. “We are losing large amounts of money. Your audience has halved in recent years. People are not reading your stuff,” he said.
Jeff Bezos also acknowledged the losses in 2024. He said, “We saved The Washington Post once, and we’re going to save it a second time.”
