Gutted. And Gutting.

The journalism industry is brutal. The Washington Post’s decline feels like a choice.

The Washington Post laying off 300+ journalists—roughly 30% of its workforce—is more than another brutal chapter in the economics of journalism. It’s hard to look at cuts this sweeping and believe this was the only path for a storied news organization—even in an industry where profitability is elusive.

Democracy Dies in Darkness.

It’s ironic, but news media often struggle with communications about themselves. So perhaps it’s not surprising that the communications around the layoffs were handled poorly. The job cuts had been telegraphed for weeks, with reporters pleading with owner Jeff Bezos publicly to reconsider. The optics of journalists having to beg the billionaire owner to intervene are just plain bleak.

To be clear: journalism isn’t a charity. The Washington Post is not immune to the enormous change the media industry is undergoing. But it has also suffered from self-inflicted wounds. After leadership’s decision to change its editorial policy—withdrawing a presidential endorsement of Kamala Harris in 2024—The Post’s subscriber base tanked—an error they never recovered from. Bezos could give them the time to reinvent after that disastrous choice. When he has effectively unlimited runway, with about $250 billion in personal wealth, “we had no choice” rings hollow. This was a decision about priorities, and about risk tolerance in a moment when independent journalism carries real consequences.

And even when cuts are inevitable, the way you execute them matters: clarity, dignity, and operational competence are part of leadership. Letting a Sword of Damocles hang over a newsroom for weeks does real damage.

There will be dozens of stories about the individuals leaving The Washington Post. But one already stands out. Journalist Lizzie Johnson received notice that she was laid off—while working in the middle of a war zone. Lizzie is—rather, was—their Ukraine correspondent. Her post on social media, “I have no words. I’m devastated.”

This isn’t just an economic story. It’s a leadership story—a failure of both internal communications and trust, damaging the reputation for both the institution and the leaders—namely the owner and publisher—at the top.

The layoffs were covered today by every major news outlet. The Washington Post took AP’s writeup.