In 2025, The Washington Post experienced the steepest decline in print circulation among the top 25 newspapers, coinciding with significant layoffs earlier this year. This downturn followed backlash from loyal readers after Jeff Bezos withdrew his support for Kamala Harris.
According to a report from Press Gazette, the newspaper’s average daily print circulation plummeted by 21.2% between March and September, dropping from 111,171 to 87,576 copies.
The Los Angeles Times, owned by billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong, came in second with a 19.8% decrease in circulation, falling to 63,492 copies.
This year’s struggles were felt across the printing industry, with the total average daily print circulation for the top 25 newspapers falling by 12.5%. Almost every single paper on that list saw a decline.
However, the Washington Post and LA Times faced particularly sharp reductions, partly due to what the Alliance for Auditing Media described as “significant subscription cancellations” after both papers were restricted from publishing pro-Harris articles ahead of the 2024 election.
Last month, The Washington Post laid off over a third of its newsroom—more than 300 journalists, including the entire sports desk—despite passionate appeals from staff to Bezos.
The layoffs were attributed, at least in part, to losses that surpassed $100 million in 2025, with The Washington Post grappling with dwindling web traffic and shifting consumer preferences for news, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.
Meanwhile, internal tensions have been rising among staff, fueled by a growing mistrust of Bezos after he unveiled a new approach for the editorial team, emphasizing free markets and individual liberties in the wake of President Trump’s re-election.
The Wall Street Journal, which has the highest circulation, saw its print numbers drop by 12.9% in the same six-month period, from 473,717 to 412,428 copies, based on data from the Alliance for Auditing Media.
The New York Times followed closely behind with an 8.6% decline, while the New York Post reported a 4.2% drop during that time.
Interestingly, The Villages Daily Sun, a newspaper based in Florida, was the only publication in the top 25 that enjoyed an increase in circulation, rising by 4.2% to 48,716 copies.
In the wider landscape, USA Today, formerly known as Gannett, has suffered losses in local publications, managing to take on three of its lowest-performing newspapers, including itself and the Arizona Republic.
