Journalists and staff at The Washington Post are facing heightened anxiety and uncertainty over the prospect of major layoffs in the coming weeks, with internal discussions suggesting potential cuts could affect more than one hundred newsroom roles.

Staff fears have been fuelled by persistent rumours of widespread job losses and recent decisions that have blindsided employees, including the abrupt cancellation of planned coverage for the upcoming Winter Olympics.

The looming restructuring follows earlier rounds of workforce reductions at the Post, including a round in January 2025 in which around four per cent of the company’s workforce — mainly in business operations — was cut as part of broader efforts to adapt to financial challenges and a shifting media landscape.

Despite those earlier cuts sparing the newsroom, recent signs point to anxiety spreading across editorial departments, with sports, metro and foreign desks perceived as particularly vulnerable.

Concern among journalists has prompted internal and public responses, including a social media campaign by staffers under the slogan “Save The Post” aimed at rallying support for preserving journalistic capacity.

Approximately sixty members of the Post’s foreign staff wrote to owner Jeff Bezos urging him to reconsider any layoffs and underscoring the value of international reporting, even offering to collaborate on cost-saving measures that could avert deep cuts.

The shock cancellation of Washington Post coverage for the 2026 Winter Olympics, made just weeks before the event’s start despite significant spending on accommodations, has intensified concerns about editorial priorities and morale, with some veteran journalists expressing disbelief at the decision.

Rumours that the sports desk could face severe reductions or even closure have further unsettled staff.

Inside the newsroom, staffers have described the situation as “confusing,” with widespread uncertainty about the scale and timing of potential layoffs and limited clarity from senior leadership.

Many employees characterise the ongoing rumours as a distraction from their reporting duties at a time when the paper continues to produce in-depth coverage across global and domestic beats.

The Post’s leadership has not publicly confirmed the extent of any forthcoming cuts or the specific departments that may be affected, and a spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment.

However, the combination of financial pressures, high-profile departures and newsroom unease underscores the broader challenges facing legacy news organisations in an era of declining readership and evolving digital consumption habits.