Woodward says he was 'crushed' by Washington Post layoffs: Colleagues 'deserve more'

Washington Post Associate Editor Bob Woodward said Friday that he was “crushed” by the recent layoffs at the newspaper, saying his colleagues “deserve more.” “The Washington Post has been my professional home for 55 years. I believe in it. I love it,” Woodward, who started at the paper in 1971, wrote in a statement posted on social platform X. “I am crushed that so many of my beloved colleagues have lost their jobs and our readers have been given less news and sound analysis,” the veteran journalist added. “They deserve more.” Executive editor Matt Muray announced during a Zoom call with employees on Wednesday that hundreds of jobs would be cut amid a restructuring of the newsroom. The sports department was hardest hit, with many reporters laid off and others moving to the features department to cover sports as a cultural phenomenon. The widespread cuts, part of what Murray described as a “strategic reset” at the outlet, also included trimming the metro desk, which covers local news, and eliminating its books section and daily podcast. Woodward praised the “superb and excellent ground-breaking stories” published under Murray’s leadership, vowing that work would not stop. But, he added, “I will do everything in my power to help make sure The Washington Post thrives and survives.” News of the layoffs spread quickly on Capitol Hill, with several Democrats slamming the decision. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) called it “a devastating day for the paper of record in our nation’s capital,” while blasting billionaire owner Jeff Bezos. “Bezos just spent $40 million sucking up to Trump with Amazon’s ‘Melania,’ but is now cutting a third of @WashingtonPost staff — including much of the international & local teams – for ‘budget’ reasons?” Van Hollen wrote on X. “The corporate takeover of media is a threat to our democracy & the delivery of the truth to the American people.” Among those caught up in the cuts was Caroline O’Donovan, a journalist who extensively covered Amazon, the online retail giant also owned by Bezos. “haven’t posted here in years but uh… some news,” O’Donovan wrote online. “[I’m] out, along with just a ton of the best in the biz. horrible.” Bezos, who bought the paper in 2013, has come under fire for his efforts to reshape the outlet, drawing criticism for what some have suggested is becoming too lenient on coverage of President Trump and his second administration. That opposition grew louder after Bezos hired British media executive Will Lewis as publisher and CEO in 2024. Later in the year, the billionaire reportedly blocked a planned endorsement of former Vice President Kamala Harris in the days leading up to the presidential election, prompting internal resignations and a significant loss of subscribers.