What American newspaper Washington Post said while announcing layoffs, Shashi Tharoor's son also loses job
The American newspaper The Washington Post has announced layoffs. It has laid off one-third of its staff.
Washington Post employees, including Ishaan Tharoor, son of Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, shared emotional and somber messages on social media as one of the world’s premier media organizations announced widespread layoffs earlier on Wednesday, affecting its international reportage footprint and sports desk.
In a post on X, Ishaan Tharoor said he was “heartbroken” over being laid off and expressed support for his colleagues who faced the same fate.
According to the announcement made on Wednesday, the cuts will affect several departments, with the sports, local, and international teams being hit the hardest.
Move would bring stability
Executive Editor Matt Murray said the move would bring "stability." However, employees and some former leaders slammed the decision. One employee called it the "darkest day" in the newspaper's history.
In a note to staff on Wednesday, Matt Murray said that today's news is sad, and this is a difficult step. He wrote, "If we are to move forward, not just survive, we must transform our journalism and business model with renewed vigor."
Newspaper's online traffic has fallen significantly
He explained that the newspaper's online traffic has fallen significantly in the last three years, especially in the age of artificial intelligence. He said, "We do good work, but often we write from a single perspective and for only a segment of our readers."
Before this announcement, foreign and local reporters had appealed to the newspaper's owner, Jeff Bezos, to save their jobs.
The Washington Post Guild said in a statement on Wednesday, "The continuous elimination of staff will weaken the newspaper, alienate readers, and harm the newspaper's mission."