The Washington Post began a major workforce restructuring on February 4, 2026, and Amazon beat reporter Caroline O’Donovan was among those laid off. The Post’s spokesperson said about one-third of employees were affected, while a union spokesperson said hundreds of newsroom staff lost their jobs. Those are attributed estimates, not a confirmed final count. The sources do not establish that O’Donovan was selected because of her Amazon coverage.
What happened at The Washington Post
Reuters reported that the cuts began Wednesday, February 4, 2026. A Post spokesperson described the impact as about one-third of employees; a Washington-Baltimore News Guild spokesperson said hundreds of newsroom staff were losing their jobs. Neither figure was reported as an audited final tally. The layoffs affected international, editing, metro and sports desks.
The restructuring also brought the elimination of the sports and books sections, the end of the daily Post Reports podcast, and reductions in local and international coverage, according to reports by Reuters and GeekWire.
Caroline O’Donovan’s layoff and Amazon reporting
O’Donovan, a technology reporter who had covered Amazon for nearly four years, confirmed on February 4 that she was laid off. GeekWire reproduced her post: “I’m out, along with just a ton of the best in the biz. horrible.” In another post, she wrote: “Readers of my work consistently shared their surprise that The Post would cover Amazon so closely. I guess that’s over now.”
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The Washington Post is owned by Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s founder. Reuters reported Bezos bought the paper in 2013 for $250 million. That ownership connection and O’Donovan’s layoff are established; the available reporting does not show that her coverage of Amazon caused her selection. Her departure also does not establish that the Post ended all Amazon reporting.
How the Post explained the restructuring
The Post described the action as a significant restructuring intended to strengthen its footing and sharpen its focus. In a statement quoted by Reuters, the company said: “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.”
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Executive editor Matt Murray told staff the organization had been operating with a structure “too rooted in the days when we were a quasi-monopoly local newspaper,” and said it needed “a new way forward and a sounder foundation,” Reuters reported. GeekWire reported that Murray also said online search traffic had fallen by nearly half in three years, partly because of generative AI. That was Murray’s explanation, not an independently verified traffic measurement.
What management said would remain a priority
Murray said politics and government would remain the Post’s largest desk. Management also highlighted national news and features in science, health, medicine, technology, climate and business. These were announced priorities; they do not by themselves establish the staffing or coverage levels that remained after the cuts.
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The reductions therefore affected both the organization’s structure and specific desks and formats, while management described a focus on national coverage areas. The announcement alone does not show how consistently those stated priorities were maintained afterward.
Circulation and business context
Reuters reported Alliance for Audited Media data showing average daily paid circulation of 97,000 and Sunday paid circulation of about 160,000 in 2025. It also reported average daily circulation of 250,000 in 2020. The 2020 figure is an average-daily circulation comparison and should not be treated as a like-for-like paid-subscription measure without further detail.
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In 2026, a Post spokesperson told the paper that 300,000 subscriptions had been sold so far that year and projected the company would break even in 2026. These were time-sensitive claims made during the year, not audited year-end results.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Who leads the Post now
As of October 8, 2026, Jeff D’Onofrio is publisher and CEO. The Post reported on September 9, 2026, that Bezos appointed him to the permanent role after seven months as interim publisher and CEO. D’Onofrio succeeded William Lewis, who resigned in February after overseeing the layoffs.
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