The Washington Post Guild has launched a GoFundMe campaign for over 300 journalists who were laid off from the newspaper on Wednesday morning. Rachel Siegel, a business reporter, expressed that she was “overwhelmed” by the donations coming in from various places.
By Wednesday night, the GoFundMe, organized by the guild, had raised more than $250,000.
Siegel noted that the funds will assist former employees with expenses such as relocation, visa fees, childcare, medical bills, and meals.
She remarked on the culture at The Post, emphasizing that it’s the people who truly make the company special—highlighting their resourcefulness and mutual care for one another.
As of Wednesday night, nearly 2,000 individuals had contributed, and the current goal is to reach $350,000, although Siegel mentioned that fundraising will continue “at least for the next few days.”
In a reflective update, Siegel shared, “Today is an incredibly tough day for the Post, and, for the most part, words don’t express it. We are devastated by the support shown here. The loss of colleagues and the company’s decisions—much of it feels beyond our control and more than we were prepared for. The scale of need is unprecedented.”
The union has voiced strong opposition to these drastic layoffs, calling on Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, the owner of The Washington Post via Nash Holdings, to consider appointing a new “custodian” if he does not support the paper’s long-standing mission.
Since 1877, The Washington Post has aimed to “hold power accountable without fear or favor” while providing important insights to local, national, and global communities, according to the guild.
Recently, a significant portion of the newsroom, including the entire sports desk, was unexpectedly let go. Staff members were instructed to “stay home” on Wednesday and participate in a Zoom call scheduled for 8:30 a.m. ET regarding “significant company-wide actions,” as detailed in an email from editor-in-chief Matt Murray and human resources executive Wayne Connell.
Murray referred to these changes in a letter to staff as “painful,” mentioning that they would significantly affect nearly every department in the newsroom.
Among those who were terminated were the outlet’s first race and ethnicity reporter, a reporter who covered Amazon, and a war correspondent stationed in Ukraine at the time they received their notices.
