During a major walkout, several Washington Post reporters and members of the Washington-Baltimore News Guild criticized the outlet's owner, Jeff Bezos. They expressed concerns about the company's recent restructuring and financial struggles.
In a historic act of defiance, several Washington Post reporters and members of the Washington-Baltimore News Guild took to the streets to criticize the outlet's owner, Jeff Bezos, during a major strike this week.
The strike was sparked by the sudden ouster of executive editor Sally Buzbee, who had joined the Post in 2021. According to the paper's own reporting, publisher and CEO William Lewis informed his staff of Buzbee's departure "effective immediately" on Sunday night.
Lewis's blunt message during a tense staff meeting following Buzbee's departure further fueled the unrest. He warned that the Post was losing money and subscribers and urged employees to embrace change to ensure the company's survival.
"We are going to turn this thing around, but let's not sugarcoat it. It needs turning around," Lewis said. "We are losing large amounts of money. Your audience has halved in recent years. People are not reading your stuff."
However, many staffers were critical of Lewis's approach and the restructuring plan he outlined. One staffer accused him of choosing two of his "buddies" to run the Post, referring to Murray and former colleague Robert Winnett.
"The most cynical interpretation sort of feels like you chose two of your buddies to come in and help run The Post," the staffer said. "And we now have four White men running three newsrooms."
The Post's financial struggles have been well-documented. According to The New York Times, the paper lost more than $70 million in 2023 and has lost half of its audience in the same period.
In an attempt to address the financial challenges, the Post implemented staff buyouts in the final quarter of 2023. Notable departures included media reporter Paul Farhi, columnist Greg Sargent, and senior editor Marc Fisher.
The strike and the criticism of Bezos underscore the growing unrest within the Post's newsroom. Several current and former staffers have expressed dissatisfaction with the work environment, particularly since Buzbee took over as top editor.
Lewis's restructuring plan involves dividing the paper's staff into three newsrooms: the "core," which is essentially its reporting team, opinion, and "service/social," meant to focus on audience building.
"By creating three, strong, journalism functions – Core, Service/Social and Opinions – we are taking a definitive step away from the 'one size fits all' approach and moving towards meeting our audiences where they are," Lewis said in a statement.
However, only time will tell if Lewis's plan will be enough to address the Post's financial and cultural challenges and restore the faith of its employees.
