Shashi Tharoor's son among 300 laid off Washington Post fires one-third of staff
PTC News Desk: The Washington Post on Wednesday laid off nearly one-third of its workforce in one of the most extensive rounds of job cuts in the media industry, shutting down its sports section, closing several international bureaus and discontinuing its books coverage. Among those impacted were the newspaper’s New Delhi bureau chief as well as all correspondents and editors covering the Middle East.
More than 300 employees lost their jobs, including Ishaan Tharoor, a senior columnist on international affairs and son of Congress MP Shashi Tharoor. Tharoor acknowledged his exit in a social media post, reflecting on his tenure at the publication and the abrupt end to his role. In another post, he shared a photograph of an empty newsroom, describing the moment as “a bad day.”
"I have been laid off today from the Washington Post, along with most of the International staff and so many other wonderful colleagues," Tharoor wrote on X. "I’m heartbroken for our newsroom and especially for the peerless journalists who served the Post internationally."
Tharoor also looked back on his contributions to the publication, noting that it was an honour to launch the WorldView column in 2017, which aimed to help readers gain a deeper understanding of global developments. He expressed gratitude to the nearly 500,000 subscribers who followed his work over the years.
Confirming the layoffs, The Washington Post said the move was part of a major restructuring effort. The changes include scrapping the sports section, reducing overseas bureaus and ending coverage of books.
Executive editor Matt Murray described the decision as difficult but necessary, saying the organisation must narrow its focus as it adjusts to evolving technology and shifting audience preferences.
Employees were notified about the layoffs via email after a company-wide meeting, with the scale of the cuts leaving staff across departments stunned.
Former executive editor Martin Baron criticised the move, describing it as “near-instant, self-inflicted brand destruction,” while journalism experts and former employees warned that the layoffs could cause lasting harm to one of the world’s most prominent news organisations.
- With inputs from agencies
