Focus on the BIG picture.
Monday, Feb 16, 2026
Outside the box.
Pulitzer Prize-Winning Art Critic Sebastian Smee Part of Massive Layoffs at The Washington Post
Sebastian Smee, alongside hundreds of colleagues, is laid off as one of the most significant newsroom reductions in the paper’s history unfolds
The Washington Post has laid off its Pulitzer Prize-winning art critic Sebastian Smee as part of an extensive reduction in staff that has swept across the historic newspaper this February.
Notices were delivered to employees on Wednesday, February four, following weeks of anticipation about a major restructuring that has eliminated a large portion of the newsroom and other departments.
These layoffs have affected approximately one-third of the Post’s workforce as executives pursue a cost-cutting reorganisation amid financial pressures facing legacy media outlets.
Smee, an Australian-born critic celebrated for his incisive writing on modern and contemporary art and recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism in two thousand eleven, had been a prominent voice at the Post since joining in January two thousand eighteen.
His work ranged from illuminating American art collections to exploring cultural history, most recently through his book published in two thousand twenty-four.
In a statement reflecting on his departure, he expressed gratitude for his eight years with the paper and sympathy for colleagues affected by the cuts.
The reduction in staff has not only touched the Arts section but also gutted entire departments including Books, Sports, and significant portions of foreign and local reporting desks.
All in-house staff photographers have also been eliminated, raising questions about the future of the paper’s visual journalism capabilities.
A handful of senior arts editors and reporters remain, but many roles once central to cultural coverage are now vacant.
The Post’s leadership has characterised the layoffs as a necessary step in adapting to evolving industry economics, but the scale of the cuts has drawn concern from media observers, newsroom representatives, and former colleagues who warn of long-term implications for comprehensive journalism.
As one of America’s most influential news organisations navigates this transition, the departure of high-profile contributors like Smee highlights the broader challenges facing established newsrooms in the digital era.
Notices were delivered to employees on Wednesday, February four, following weeks of anticipation about a major restructuring that has eliminated a large portion of the newsroom and other departments.
These layoffs have affected approximately one-third of the Post’s workforce as executives pursue a cost-cutting reorganisation amid financial pressures facing legacy media outlets.
Smee, an Australian-born critic celebrated for his incisive writing on modern and contemporary art and recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism in two thousand eleven, had been a prominent voice at the Post since joining in January two thousand eighteen.
His work ranged from illuminating American art collections to exploring cultural history, most recently through his book published in two thousand twenty-four.
In a statement reflecting on his departure, he expressed gratitude for his eight years with the paper and sympathy for colleagues affected by the cuts.
The reduction in staff has not only touched the Arts section but also gutted entire departments including Books, Sports, and significant portions of foreign and local reporting desks.
All in-house staff photographers have also been eliminated, raising questions about the future of the paper’s visual journalism capabilities.
A handful of senior arts editors and reporters remain, but many roles once central to cultural coverage are now vacant.
The Post’s leadership has characterised the layoffs as a necessary step in adapting to evolving industry economics, but the scale of the cuts has drawn concern from media observers, newsroom representatives, and former colleagues who warn of long-term implications for comprehensive journalism.
As one of America’s most influential news organisations navigates this transition, the departure of high-profile contributors like Smee highlights the broader challenges facing established newsrooms in the digital era.
