Bezos-led Washington Post announces 'painful' job cuts

WASHINGTON

One Franklin Square, home of the Washington Post newspaper in downtown Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. (AP Photo)

The Washington Post, owned by billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, has announced major job cuts, saying that "painful" restructuring was needed at the storied newspaper.

The Post, which gained legendary status when its reporting helped bring down president Richard Nixon in the Watergate scandal, will see "substantial" reductions in its newsroom, Executive Editor Matt Murray said on Feb. 5. 

The shrinking of the Post comes as major traditional media outlets in the United States face intense pressure from President Donald Trump, who routinely denigrates journalists as "fake news" and has launched multiple lawsuits over coverage of his presidency.

Bezos, one of the world's richest people, has become close to Trump in the Republican's second term. His Amazon behemoth controversially paid Trump's wife, First Lady Melania Trump, a reported $40 million for a documentary this year, along with another $35 million for marketing.

Murray said the shifts at the Post reflect the radically changing economy for news media.

This "will help to secure our future...and provide us stability moving forward," Murray said in a note to employees.

He cited changes to the news ecosystem, from individuals who "generate impact at low cost" to AI-generated content, as well as financial challenges that have already produced rounds of cost-cutting and buyouts at the Post.

The Post did not disclose the number of job cuts, but the New York Times reports approximately 300 of its 800 journalists were laid off.