The owner of the Washington Post, Jeff Bezos, remains committed to the publication, CNN’s Editor-in-Chief stated during an interview on CNN Wednesday, just several hours after The Post laid off hundreds of staff members.
“He desires for The Post to become a larger, more relevant, and thriving institution,” remarked Executive Editor Matt Murray.
Nevertheless, numerous Post journalists harbor skepticism, contending that the organization lacks the capacity to achieve growth. Approximately one in three employees were let go on Wednesday, encompassing over 300 newsroom personnel, according to individuals familiar with the situation.
The substantial workforce reductions further intensified scrutiny on Bezos, prompting many Post journalists to contemplate whether he might divest the paper, while simultaneously leading some to hope for such an outcome.
“If Jeff Bezos is no longer prepared to invest in the mission that has defined this newspaper for generations and to serve the millions who rely on The Post’s journalism, then The Post deserves a proprietor who is,” read a statement from The Post Guild.
Bezos has offered no comment regarding his current vision for The Post, but privately, he has urged leadership toward reversing the paper’s annual losses, returning it to profitability, and establishing a sustainable path forward.
In a phone conversation, Murray was reluctant to elaborate on his discussions with Bezos and declined to specify when he last spoke with the owner. However, he characterized Wednesday as a “day of resetting” and asserted that Bezos supports a “reimagining.”
“From my vantage point, I can say that Jeff is always supportive of getting things in order and being ready for growth,” Murray commented.
“And he is ideal, from my perspective as a news leader, being an owner who does not interfere in the news operation; does not dictate what we do; does not react to stories; does not set coverage; and understands the needs and necessity of what we are trying to accomplish with our journalism. That’s what I appreciate about the owner.”
“Save The Post”
Post employees—some of whom recently penned letters to Bezos in a failed effort to secure their jobs—are mobilizing online using the hashtag #SaveThePost.
Murray pointed out that “the first time I ever heard the words ‘save the Post’ spoken by Jeff Bezos.”
This moment occurred in late 2024, when Bezos addressed the stage at The New York Times’ DealBook conference, saying, “We saved The Washington Post once, and we are going to save it a second time.”
Murray, formally appointed Executive Editor around the same timeframe, became the public face of Wednesday’s layoffs, causing some to question Publisher and CEO Will Lewis, who has not communicated with staff.
Two years prior, Bezos personally selected Lewis to spearhead a turnaround for The Post, yet employees suggest tangible results have been minimal.
Murray also noted that Lewis has placed The Post’s digital subscription business “in a much, much better position than it was before, and we are seeing success in that direction.”
However, The Post saw the departure of hundreds of thousands of subscribers after Bezos alienated devoted readers by rejecting a planned editorial endorsement of Kamala Harris in late 2024.
Subsequent alterations within the opinion section have fueled further concern that Bezos is leveraging The Post to curry favor with President Donald Trump in ways that might benefit Amazon and Blue Origin—two companies for which Bezos is renowned for his success.
“We Are Breaking A Lot Of Scoops”
This perception, certainly, is not confined to The Post’s newsroom. But Murray—along with several other staff members—said people ought to evaluate the content the publication produces on a daily basis.
“Our job is to cover Trump aggressively, without fear or favor, and that is why we are here,” Murray stated. “We continue to do that, and our brilliant staff is doing a lot of great work in that area, as you know, because we are breaking a lot of scoops.”
When asked if The Post would continue covering Amazon, despite the fact that its dedicated Amazon reporter, Caroline Donovan, was among those dismissed, Murray affirmed that it would.
“Technology continues to be important to us,” he said, even though staff members reported that more than half of the tech reporters were laid off.
“We had to make some very hard decisions across several areas today,” Murray remarked.
Some of the cuts, he indicated, were aimed at short-term business stabilization, rather than representing a permanent reduction in The Post’s overall ambition.
He sidestepped the question of whether he considered resigning rather than implementing the drastic personnel reduction.
“I want the chance to see if we can navigate The Post to a better place,” Murray concluded. “That matters because The Post is an important institution that must survive and thrive.”
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