Washington Post audience left wondering what comes next - Poynter

"The Washington Post had a major shakeup on Wednesday - laying off hundreds of journalists. Nearly every department was impacted. The sports and foreign verticals were pretty much gutted. Books coverage was eliminated. Deep cuts hit areas like design and photography. With an email to staff and a Zoom call, the Post demolished a third of its newsroom in what former iconic editor Marty Baron called "one of the darkest days" in the history of one of the world's most respected and important news organizations."

"It's a question that really hasn't been answered in detail, at least not publicly, and the paper's audience, was left with more questions than answers. Yes, the Post news was everywhere on Wednesday. But the only story in the Post itself was a story written by The Associated Press instead of one of the Post's insightful media writers. That story was not prominently displayed on the Post's website."

"Executive editor Matt Murray did publish a note in the print edition of the Post on Thursday. In the note, Murray wrote that the Post remains committed to a "strong, robust print newspaper for our local market." He later added, "We are taking a series of actions, and rethinking some of the ways we do things, amid sweeping changes in our industry." He went on to say, again, that the Post is committed to a strong print product."

The Washington Post laid off hundreds of journalists, eliminating roughly a third of the newsroom and hitting nearly every department. Sports and foreign verticals were largely gutted, books coverage was eliminated, and deep cuts affected design and photography. Management notified staff via email and a Zoom call. Former editor Marty Baron described the day as "one of the darkest days" in the paper's history. Questions remain about future coverage and strategy, with little public detail provided. The paper ran an Associated Press story in lieu of internal coverage. Executive editor Matt Murray affirmed commitment to a strong local print newspaper and noted organizational changes amid industry shifts.

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