Jeff Bezos' Washington Post launches major newsroom clear-out

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Raw Story

May 27, 2025 1:03PM ET


Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos is offering buyouts to dozens of staffers.

The newspaper has offered buyout packages to opinion writers, staffers with 10 years’ experience and entire departments, including the video desk, the copy desk and the sports copy desks, reported The Daily Beast.

“Like the rest of our industry, we are adapting to changing habits and new technologies that are transforming news experiences,” executive editor Matt Murray told staffers in a memo obtained by the Beast. “Even as we have begun creating new departments and welcoming new colleagues, to reach new audiences we must increase our staffing flexibility and expand in areas such as audience data and social video.”

Staffers were given until July to decide whether to accept the buyouts, but opinion staffers were also told the offer was meant to let them “make a clear-eyed decision on whether they want to be part of the new direction for Post Opinion.”

Read more: https://www.rawstory.com/jeff-bezos-washington-post-2672214970/

[unblock]

1. "I want any lingering traces of responsible, objective, investigative journalism gone by 5pm!"

"We'll be fumigating just to be sure!"

[FakeNoose]

2. "If you aren't a bot or a volunteer, please leave now"

[brush]

3. A once-great paper destroyed. Is the NYT next?

WAPO and the NYT used to be considered the 'papers of record.'

I suspect a few editors will be left to make sure the AI-generated copy gets to the composing room by deadline time.

[Botany]

17. The new Washington Post

Liberals were arrested @ the Watergate Office Complex trying to plant evidence against our great leader
President Richard Nixon.

[IcyPeas]

4. Are consumers of newspapers now considered "audiences"? 🤔

[ancianita]

5. Nothing political. Just business. The "new narratives" business.

“Like the rest of our industry, we are adapting to changing habits and new technologies that are transforming news experiences,” executive editor Matt Murray told staffers in a memo obtained by the Beast. “Even as we have begun creating new departments and welcoming new colleagues, to reach new audiences we must increase our staffing flexibility and expand in areas such as audience data and social video.”

Not feeling the "adapting" rhetoric about reaching new audiences and being all "free market" with their "staffing flexibility."

[wolfie001]

6. He makes me want to vomit. His plastic wife lol

[img][/img] [img][/img]

[Hekate]

7. Get out while you can, folks. Sorry about your craft, your career, and your mortgage.

[Quanto Magnus]

8. Basically....

"We're about to go full propaganda. Decide if you're willing to sell yourself out for that or quit now."

[highplainsdem]

9. Sickening.

[Grins]

10. "(We are) transforming news experiences"

I dread those words.

As soon as that bastard Dan Snyder took over the then-Redskins promising to “enhance the fan experience,” I knew. And it was a multi-year disaster. This will, too.

[calimary]

11. "... transforming news experiences "???

What does that even mean?

[Dr. T]

19. It means that journalistic integrity classes

will now be replaced with effective propaganda classes.

[DFW]

12. Thank goodness my dad never had to see this.

Himself a DC print journalist, and past president of the Gridiron Club, he had MANY friends at the Post. Jack Anderson, Herb Block, Dave Broder, a lot if etc. My dad would have been sick to see the perversion that has befallen his profession.

[Mawspam2]

13. Great, now we can read about lists of books that don't exist.

https://www.npr.org/2025/05/20/nx-s1-5405022/fake-summer-reading-list-ai

[perdita9]

14. Cancelled my subscription in Nov 2024

I haven't paid attention to this newspaper since

[Botany]

15. opinion staffers were told the offer was meant to let them know "whether they want to part of the new direction

.... part of the new direction for Post Opinion.”

aka get in line with Trump, the right wing, and the new fascist America.

Bezo is all in w/rich mother fuckers pushing lies and killing real journalism and quality opinion writing be it
liberal or conservative.

[dedl67]

16. I delivered the Washington Post in the 1950s

It was a great time for newspapers. But even in the 1950s, newspapers were starting to diminish somewhat. There were at least four newspapers published in Washington, DC; at the start of the 1950s; the Washington Post, The Times Herald, The Evening Star, and the Daily News (if I remember correctly). The Post bought out its morning competitor, The Times Herald, which boosted the number of subscribers that I delivered to. i don't recall the exact history of the other newspapers, but I believe the Star and News eventually must have gone out of business. I was really proud to be delivering the Washington Post. It had the great cartoonist, Herblock, and great columnists. It is sad to see what is happening to this formerly great newspaper. It seems to symbolize what is happening to our country.

[travelingthrulife]

22. These newspaper people can't adapt. Most people read articles from a wide

variety of sources yet they each expect us to subscribe. I would have dozens of subscriptions to maintain.

Why not set up like cable, let us choose many newspapers under one subscription?

[Javaman]

18. going full Pravda nt

[lark]

20. Damn! I just might have to unsubscribe to WaPo, just like I did NYT.

Sadly, I don't know of another national paper that is not firmly on the trump train - ugh! The Atlantic is nice, but it's not a daily. Does anyone know of any better alternatives?

[BumRushDaShow]

23. "The Atlantic" sends me stuff "daily"

But much of what they have is commentary and essays.

Similarly "Mother Jones" that I sub to and they usually have at least a couple daily articles but more commentary/essays.

Who you COULD sub to, which I just did a couple months ago, is "The Guardian" (I did a full sub). They are DEFINITELY not pro-45 and report 24/7 (although obviously have quite a bit of UK/Europe news too but have a dedicated U.S. staff). Plus I like Hugo Lowell.

[lark]

25. Thanks!

[BumRushDaShow]

26. Most welcome!

The Guardian also has a separate foodie app called "Guardian Feast" I believe.

[bif]

24. The Detroit Free Press

Is still pretty left of center. Then there's the Guardian, of course.

[travelingthrulife]

21. He must 'expand into audience data'???

Bezos killed the WaPo.

[Keepthesoulalive]

27. He showed you who he was

Last October and again in January, maybe now you will believe him.

[Doodley]

28. It looks like he wants a sewer of misinformation and hate to support the MAGA fascist agenda.

[Blue Owl]

29. Replace all the humans with AI yes-bots

Fuck Bozo and his blood billions

[Ruby the Liberal]

30. Yet the reputation will remain

The WaPost readers who haven't seen this reporting on the ideological switch will keep on through the same lens they always have - giving their trust (or at least benefit of the doubt) to what is being presented.