Washington Post cutting hundreds of jobs, as US media faces Trump pressure

Washington Post cutting hundreds of jobs, as US media faces Trump pressure

The newspaper, now owned by billionaire Jeff Bezos, once helped bring down US President Richard Nixon in the Watergate scandal

The Washington Post, owned by billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, announced major job cuts Wednesday, saying that “painful” restructuring was needed at the storied newspaper.

The newspaper, which gained legendary status when its reporting helped bring down President Richard Nixon in the Watergate scandal, will see “substantial” reductions in its newsroom, Executive Editor Matt Murray said.

The shrinking of The Washington Post comes as major traditional media outlets in the United States face intense pressure from President Donald Trump, who routinely denigrates journalists as “fake news” and has launched multiple lawsuits over coverage of his presidency.

Bezos, one of the world’s richest people, has become close to Trump in the Republican’s second term. His Amazon behemoth controversially paid Trump’s wife, first lady Melania Trump, a reported US$40 million for a documentary this year, along with another US$35 million for marketing.

Murray said the shifts at the paper reflect the radically changing economy for news media. This “will help to secure our future … and provide us stability moving forward”, Murray said in a note to employees.

He cited changes to the news ecosystem, from individuals who “generate impact at low cost” to AI-generated content, as well as financial challenges that have already produced rounds of cost-cutting and buyouts at The Washington Post.