Hello, readers.
Let’s dive right in.
The recently laid-off reporter is quite emotional.
The Washington Post announced yesterday that it would be reducing its workforce by 30%, impacting about 300 journalists and editors.
Let’s get a few things straight. I won’t be digging deep into stats or traffic reports to analyze these layoffs comprehensively. Sure, I’ll share some figures, but keep in mind, this won’t be a detailed analysis.
Take it from someone who’s been observing the media landscape for 25 years, or don’t. I’m not really into the idea of celebrating these layoffs. While it’s a tough situation, and I certainly wouldn’t want anyone to lose their job.
When a large-scale layoff happens at a media organization (which seems to happen more often than not), it’s insightful to review the contributions and specializations of the authors involved.
Was The Post genuinely in touch with its audience? In fields like “climate change,” or in areas that focus on particular races? Is that really making any business sense? And what’s going on with a sports department that seems almost entirely replaced during Super Bowl week?
Recently, Jada Yuan, the style section editor, was let go. In January, she managed to write 13 headlines. While that might seem like a lot for certain roles, it hardly keeps a paper solvent. She also produced some articles that feel quite dated at this point. How many people really wanted to read about the Netflix show “9 Reasons,” or various fashion looks? Sure, she covered a piece on the Wu-Tang Clan’s “most expensive” album, and I might’ve come across it, but wouldn’t have paid for it. I doubt many fans of Wu-Tang are regularly following Yuan’s writing.
In a somewhat dramatic twist, she shared a video of herself tearfully lamenting into her phone — a trend that seems to be popular among some circles these days. One commenter suggested she should “learn to code.”
Her reply demonstrated a lack of awareness regarding the situation.
In the midst of turmoil, it’s evident that many journalists often aren’t aware of how their industry really operates. It’s a shock when they face job loss.
“Our leaders don’t appreciate our efforts against climate change!” they might rage on social platforms. I doubt Jeff Bezos cares about those lists of beats.
At least one writer, Mike Allen from Axios, has recognized that the Post’s issues might be self-inflicted.
He pointed out that competitor publications like the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal are thriving. (Let’s be honest, people subscribe to the WSJ for its consistency and the NYT for its recipes and sports coverage.)
Once again, these self-inflicted wounds go deeper than usual. It wasn’t just about choosing topics that no longer engage a broad audience. There’ve been notable instances of confusion among the Post’s staff. One big moment was when Bezos distanced himself from Kamala Harris, and then when he attempted to shift the opinion section slightly rightward.
These shifts sparked a storm of critical tweets from employees, some even venting anonymously to competing outlets. It got so bad that some actively encouraged subscribers to cancel their memberships, and they did. The Washington Post faced a staggering loss of $90 million in 2023, followed by another projected $100 million in 2024.
Not only did the income drop significantly, but readership plummeted from a previous high of 144 million to merely 21 million over four years.
Some of this was driven by an excessive focus on “woke” issues. Yet, the media typically doesn’t outright tell people to turn away from their content.
Another notable event was when a new editor-in-chief from the Telegraph, Will Lewis, joined the team, leading to pushback from the staff who questioned the representation of black women in leadership roles.
This kind of internal conflict hardly bodes well for the company’s financial health.
Perhaps one of the most striking things about these media firings is how individuals often have an inflated sense of self-importance, setting up fundraising accounts for “beer” after losing their jobs.
Sure, it’s tough to think about others being impacted when you’re suddenly out of work, but the reality is that 1.3 million Americans faced job losses last year.
And just yesterday, Amazon, another Bezos venture, let go of 16,000 workers. Was there any significant reaction to that from the Post?
