Hope Against Odds: WaPo Layoffs Crush Journalists, Warzone Car-Desk Photos Rally Fans To Ditch Paper

Last Updated:February 05, 2026, 10:47 IST

Ishan Tharoor, a global affairs columnist at The Washington Post, and Pranshu Verma, who was working as New Delhi Bureau Chief, were among those laid off.

Around 30 per cent of The Washington Post’s workforce has been laid off. (Representative Image)

The news of widespread layoffs at The Washington Post sent a ripple across newsrooms and social media this week. Journalists who reported from war zones, global capitals and conflict-hit regions suddenly found themselves out of jobs. Among those affected was Ishaan Tharoor, a global affairs columnist at The Washington Post and son of Congress MP Shashi Tharoor.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Tharoor revealed that he had been laid off “along with most of the International staff and so many other wonderful colleagues."

“I’m heartbroken for our newsroom and especially for the peerless journalists who served the Post internationally — editors and correspondents who have been my friends and collaborators for almost 12 years. It’s been an honour to work with them," he wrote.

In the same post, Tharoor highlighted his work at the paper, writing, “I launched the WorldView column in January 2017 to help readers better understand the world and America’s place in it, and I’m grateful for the half a million loyal subscribers who tuned into the column several times a week over the years."

In another post, he shared a photo of an empty newsroom and wrote, “A bad day."

Laid Off Journalists At The Washington Post Speak Out

Tharoor was not alone. Pranshu Verma, The Washington Post’s New Delhi Bureau Chief, also confirmed that he had been laid off. “Heartbroken to share I’ve been laid off from The Washington Post. Gutted for so many of my talented friends who are also gone. It was a privilege to work here the past four years. Serving as the paper’s New Delhi bureau chief was an honour," he wrote.

One of the most striking reactions came from Lizzie Johnson, who had been reporting from war-hit Ukraine. She reshared a post from January 26 that showed her sitting inside a car in a winter jacket, writing at the time, “Waking up without power, heat, or running water. (Again.) But the work here in Kyiv continues… Despite how difficult this job can be, I am proud to be a foreign correspondent at The Washington Post." Resharing it now, she added, “I was just laid off by The Washington Post in the middle of a warzone. I have no words. I’m devastated."

Sam Fortier shared a video that featured the email he received that informed him of his layoff. “I am part of the mass layoffs at the Washington Post. I am sad and angry. We all want to keep doing the work. But for now, I want to document a reality of being in journalism today," he wrote.

Former Asia Editor Anna Fifield also confirmed her exit, stating, “I was laid off as Asia editor of the Washington Post today… My heart breaks for everyone who lost their job today — and for the readers who will be the worse for it."

Several more journalists from The Washington Post also confirmed that they were among those laid off.

Turkish news reporter Jennifer Hassan wrote, “My colleagues deserve better," while Aaron Weiner, the paper’s Berlin Bureau Chief, described the moment as a “dark day."

Jada Yuan, another employee affected by the cuts, shared an emotional video alongside a message that read, “It’s a sad day for anyone who cares about the arts — now for action, looking for work, ways to still support artists."

Journalists Danielle Abril and Naveen Kumar also posted about their layoffs and stated that they were now exploring new professional opportunities.

Caroline O’Donovan, who covered Amazon for The Washington Post, mentioned that she, too, had been impacted by the layoffs.

Former politics reporter Michael Bric-Saddler, who covered local communities in Washington, D.C., reflected on his time at the paper, writing, “I don’t know what the future holds, but it was the honour of a lifetime to cover D.C.’s local communities over the past 6 years."

Investigative correspondent Shibani Mahtani was also among those laid off. In her post, she wrote, “I’ve been laid off from the Post today, along with too many of my incredible colleagues, after eight incredible years, most of them in Hong Kong and covering China’s expansion, a story that will define our generation."

Other journalists affected included Will Hobson and Paul Schemm, both of whom confirmed their exits in posts on X.

Calling The Washington Post “the only home I’ve known since j-school," Taylor Telford shared her reaction to the news, while Vanessa H. Larson, a journalist based in Istanbul, reshared Ishaan Tharoor’s post to confirm that she, to,o had been laid off.

Daniel Gilbert, who reported on the business of medicine at the paper, summed up the collective mood, writing, “My feeds are full of other Post journalists — great reporters and editors, and really good humans — who are in the same situation, and my heart aches for every one."

Niha Masih, a staff writer at The Washington Post, was grateful for her time at the newspaper, writing, “Grateful for the space to report stories no longer possible in India. Hugely proud of the work and the people."

What People Are Saying About The Washington Post Layoffs

As news of the layoffs spread across social media, reactions poured in from all corners.

US political scientist Evan A. Feigenbaum highlighted the scale of the cuts and what they symbolise. In a strongly worded post, he pointed out that The Washington Post had let go of its Asia editor, bureau chiefs in New Delhi, Sydney and Cairo, along with teams covering the Middle East, China, Iran and Turkey.

According to him, “The world is becoming less America-centric by the minute, while the United States is becoming more America-centric than ever. It is just a depressing yet somehow perfect summation of our current moment that one of the most important newspapers in the history of the country – one that has actually shaped the history of the United States – doesn’t think reporting on the world is of any use anymore. What an utterly perfect encapsulation of where we have arrived."

A man under Pranshu Verma’s post mentioned that he has cancelled his subscription, saying, “Sorry to hear that. I have enjoyed reading your articles in! With the layoffs today, I don’t think I am going to get value for my money and time anymore – just cancelled my subscription. Sad to see Jeff Bezos running this esteemed US institution into the ground."

Another commenter also shared a screenshot which shows that they have cancelled their subscription to the daily.

A user focused on the language, writing, “I’ve been ‘impacted’ as the Washington Post’s top editor said today. The other way to say it is laid off. I prefer using words with direct meaning, because it informs people about responsibility and consequences. Clarity has never been more important."

But not all responses were serious. An X user joked about the situation by sharing an image of Rahul Ligma and Daniel Johnson and writing, “I was just laid off from The Washington Post. I don’t know how I’m going to tell my wife and husband. Please respect our privacy during this difficult time." The reference was to a 2022 prank where the duo pretended as Twitter employees laid off after Elon Musk’s takeover. This briefly fooled major media outlets before Musk himself joined in on the joke.

The layoffs also reopened discussions around technology and jobs. One user turned to chatbot Grok, asking, “Will artificial intelligence & automation impact media & journalists when it comes to employment?" Grok responded that while AI is already automating routine tasks like data reporting and fact-checking, layoffs such as those at The Washington Post appear to be “driven more by financial pressures than AI directly."

What Is Happening At The Washington Post?

According to a report by The New York Times, around 30 per cent of The Washington Post’s workforce has been laid off. The decision impacts both business-side employees and journalists, with more than 300 newsroom staff affected out of roughly 800 journalists in total.

“The Washington Post is taking a number of difficult but decisive actions today for our future, in what amounts to a significant restructuring across the company. These steps are designed to strengthen our footing and sharpen our focus on delivering the distinctive journalism that sets The Post apart and, most importantly, engages our customers," the newspaper said in a statement as quoted by Reuters.

The layoffs have once again raised questions about whether owner Jeff Bezos has been able to crack the challenge of running a profitable digital-first newspaper. After buying The Washington Post in 2013 for $250 million from the Graham family, Bezos oversaw years of expansion. But the paper’s growth has slowed in recent years.

“If Jeff Bezos is no longer willing to invest in the mission that has defined this paper for generations and serve the millions who depend on The Post journalism, then The Post deserves a steward that will," the Washington Post Guild, a union that represents Post employees, said on X.

Reuters noted that this is not the first round of cost-cutting at the paper. Last year, the company made several changes across business operations and announced job reductions by initially stating that the newsroom would be spared.

As per the data from the Alliance for Audited Media, The Washington Post’s paid average daily circulation in 2025 stood at 97,000, with about 1,60,000 copies on Sundays. This is a sharp fall from the 2,50,000 daily average recorded in 2020.

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