As Washington Post downsizes, media experts react with concern about future of news coverage
In the wake of The Washington Post’s announcement Wednesday that it would lay off more than 300 reporters and editors, some media watchers and academics are sounding off about the move.
“It’s obviously a loss on a human level for the fantastic and talented journalists,” said Rebecca Sinderbrand, former political editor at the Post and current director of Georgetown University’s journalism program. “It’s also a loss for the city, and it’s a loss for the country because of the institution, what the Washington Post is and what it represents.”
The layoffs would lessen the paper’s local D.C. area news coverage as well as business and sports coverage. The announcement was made during a companywide online meeting, which was followed by emails to staff members indicating whether or not their role was eliminated.
American University journalism professor Margot Susca is concerned that what has happened at the Post, which is owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, is representative of what could happen to journalism in general as corporate interests become more involved in media ownership.
“What you’re seeing here is an absolute destruction of one of America’s most important news organizations in order for Bezos to curry favor with the Trump administration because he has billions of dollars in contracts with them. It should be illegal,” Susca said.
Bezos purchased the Post in 2013 for $250 million. Multiple sources have reported he plays an active role in the news organization’s operations.
“This raises, I think, big questions about once-reputable and formidable news organizations being given the resources that they need to do that kind of accountability journalism that democracy needs,” Susca said. “And Bezos has just eliminated that.”
President Donald Trump has long been critical of the Post’s coverage of him since Bezos purchased the news organization, calling them part of the “fake news media” cycle.
Susca believes Bezos is now trying to placate Trump. She pointed to the recent debut of the documentary “Melania” about the president’s wife. The $75 million project was produced by Muse Films, a company established by Melania Trump and distributed by Amazon MGM Studios. The first lady will reportedly receive approximately $28 million for her participation.
“The idea that Jeff Bezos, a digital-first leader in innovation, cannot find solutions to help The Washington Post online, I don’t buy it,” Susca said.
“Many staffers today say, ‘You cannot cut your way to growth, you can only grow your way to growth,'” Brian Stelter, CNN media analyst, told WTOP. “But the Post says by cutting back in certain areas and trying to double down in others, maybe it can become more sustainable.”
Changing technology is altering how people consume their news. The hope is a dedication to quality journalism will survive.
“The more technology continues to advance, it feels as though the ground is shifting under our feet,” Sinderbrand said. “What comes after the Post, if indeed it has changed in such a way as to be something that is fundamentally different than came before? We can’t say precisely what the Post will be after these changes.”