Fred Ryan, CEO and publisher of The Washington Post, said that the publication would be laying off some of its employees in the upcoming year. Ryan’s announcement, delivered during a contentious town hall on Wednesday, sent shockwaves among employees. Queries from startled staff members went unanswered as Ryan walked off stage after announcing the job cuts.
The Washington Post Guild posted footage of the moment Ryan was bombarded with questions from employees during the meeting, none of which he answered as he exited the stage.
“Today, we came into WaPo’s so-called town hall with questions about recent layoffs and the future of the company. Our publisher dropped a bombshell on us by announcing more layoffs and then walking out, refusing to answer any of our questions,” the guild wrote.
“Appalled, our colleagues called out questions, at which point the company cut the livestream for those not in the room.
“Ryan rebuffed our questions and stormed out of the town hall, leaving everyone stunned,” it added.
Ryan made the announcement at the end of the event, saying the cuts would affect a single-digit percentage of its workforce.
The Washington Post has a staff of around 2,500, according to the New York Times, which means that less than 250 employees could be affected by the layoffs in 2023.
National correspondent for The Washington Post also posted a video from the town hall.
Speaking to CNN, Ryan said he does not believe the newspaper can “keep spending on initiatives that no longer align with readers’ interests.”
He however added that the total size of the newsroom would not shrink in 2023, and might even grow as the publication reinvests in other divisions.
“This will not be a net reduction in Post headcount,” reiterated Kathy Baird, chief communications officer at The Post. “We are planning to direct our resources and invest in coverage, products, and people in service of providing high value to our subscribers and new audiences.
“As a result, a number of positions will be eliminated. We anticipate it will be a single digit percentage of our employee base, and we will finalize those plans over the coming weeks.”
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