Washington Post Cuts Staff Amid Major Overhaul

The Washington Post initiated significant layoffs on Friday, affecting many experienced journalists and longtime staff members.

Reports indicate that more than a dozen editorial staff were let go, with NBC news reporter Mark Segraves highlighting the exit of Mark Fisher, a veteran in the industry for 39 years and a well-known figure at the paper.

Segraves tweeted, “@washingtonpost has fired writer & editor @mffisher along with 15 other columnists and editors. Mark Fisher spent 39 years at Wapo and is one of the biggest voices and reporters our city has.”

Sources reveal that Adam O’Neill, the new opinion editor at the Washington Post, has begun firing staff as part of an effort to revamp the section. Reportedly, six employees were impacted, along with some contractors whose positions were also terminated. An internal email detailing O’Neill’s plans has circulated.

Ben Mullin, a media reporter from the New York Times, confirmed the reports, stating that O’Neill’s actions are part of a broader strategy. He noted that while six employees were officially let go, additional contractors also faced job losses.

Retired editor Robert McCartney shared insights on these changes and cautioned that the opinion section would operate without a copy editor, potentially leading to more errors in both grammar and factual reporting. He mentioned that while copy editors in the news section remain for now, their numbers have previously dwindled.

McCartney’s comments included details about changes like the cancellation of the Saturday feature “Free for All,” which allowed readers to submit letters praising or criticizing the paper. He also noted that following local news, there would not be a columnist to fill Fisher’s role in the opinion section anymore.

The Washington Post has not yet provided a comment regarding these staff reductions.