Washington Post losses soared past $100M in 2025, prompting mass layoffs: report
The Washington Post’s losses soared past $100 million in 2025 as the broadsheet struggled to keep up with a changing news landscape – prompting colossal layoffs earlier this month, according to a Thursday report.After bleeding $77 million in 2023 and about $100 million in 2024, losses continued to pile up at the Jeff Bezos-owned broadsheet last year – even with a still-well-staffed newsroom, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.Like many other legacy papers, WaPo has struggled to stay afloat amid steep declines in web traffic and changes in how consumers get their news.A massive round of layoffs impacting 30% of employees earlier this month still stunned a newsroom known for its historic coverage of the Watergate scandal and the Pentagon Papers, along with its esteemed sports desk.Asked for comment Thursday, a Washington Post spokesperson pointed to a previous statement on the firings, saying they “are designed to strengthen our footing and sharpen our focus on delivering the distinctive journalism that sets The Post apart and, most importantly, engages our customers.”The paper declined to comment on its revenue figures.Acting CEO and Publisher Jeff D’Onofrio – who took the helm after Will Lewis abruptly stepped down just days after the layoffs – and Executive Editor Matt Murray gave a dismal picture of the paper during a staff meeting Wednesday.In their first major presentation since the layoffs, the paper’s top executives detailed years of overspending and declining productivity in the newsroom, though they did not provide specifics on losses, according to the Journal.Expenses surpassed revenue between 2022 and 2025 after the company hired hundreds of staffers in previous years, D’Onofrio reportedly told staffers.The number of news stories published by the paper has plummeted 42% since 2020 – even though newsroom costs were 16% higher in 2025 compared to the pandemic year, D’Onofrio added, according to t...