As Twitchy reported earlier, The Washington Post announced hundreds of layoffs on Wednesday. Executive editor Matt Murray announced during a Zoom call with employees that The Post would close its books department and shrink the number of journalists it stations overseas, while a sports columnist said the paper would also close its sports department in its "current form."
Notable bits from this email:
— Max Tani (@maxwelltani) February 4, 2026
- WaPo search has declined by half in three years
- Daily story output has "substantially fallen" in the last five years
- Murray argues: "we too often write from one perspective, for one slice of the audience." https://t.co/dZc3Pa1O2o
"We too often write from one perspective, for one slice of the audience." No way! Just look at the way The Washington Post covered the Steele dossier and Hunter Biden's laptop versus its coverage of President Joe Biden's cognitive decline.
Alex Kishner, who's written for Slate, explains that there just isn't a serious market among conservatives for "hard news."
There is not a serious market for "hard news" for conservatives. Murray knows this. Every editor at every major news publication in the country knows this. They just don't want to say why and would prefer to scold their own employees for not doing an impossible job https://t.co/bnmPFmbMJU
— Alex Kirshner (@alex_kirshner) February 4, 2026
There is a serious market among conservatives for "news" — not liberal opinion disguised as news.
What’s the reason?
— Woofie (@Wolfgangchomper) February 4, 2026
lack of interest in being told facts that don't align with an existing worldview. this is also a problem left of center but not to the same degree as that political movement is more fractured and isn't oriented around one guy's need to pretend he didn't lose an election
— Alex Kirshner (@alex_kirshner) February 4, 2026
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Or oriented around the opposition, trying to swing the election by feeding the story of Russian collusion to the press. Those laid off can cry over the Pulitzers they won for their tireless Russian collusion stories.
'Cos yeah, it totally worked writing from the one perspective you prefer
— GumSlinger (@GumSlinger) February 4, 2026
Have you considered that "hard news" should sometimes tell a partisan base truths they don't want to hear?
— Nemesis 2026 (@Nemtastic1) February 4, 2026
Saying "WaPo doesn't need to write for conservatives, because they don't read it" is functionally equivalent to saying it should be partisan hackery rather than real news.
The Washington Post can be slanted toward Democrats if it wants (and it has been), but in that case, blame liberals for not buying more newspapers. Certainly, there are enough Democrats in the D.C. metropolitan area to keep the paper from losing $100 million a year.
LMAO. Your entire argument is a Simpsons meme. pic.twitter.com/Mr5J6bzXi1
— Brad Brown (@rbradbrown) February 4, 2026
You are so bubbled you’re ignorant
— Kathryn (@kbean511) February 4, 2026
So what news organization delivered the “hard news” regarding:
— capitalismandfriedman (@capitalismandf1) February 4, 2026
1. Covid lab leak
2. Hunter Biden laptop
3. Biden’s immigration crisis
Where was I (as a conservative) supposed to read about these?
Or is your argument that I’m not interested in reading about them?
Like NPR, they're not going to cover "stories" that are just distractions.
Hard news being 80% negative about the guy who won the popular vote? That doesn't seem like news.
— AZMan (@DesertArizona) February 4, 2026
Apparently there is not a serious market for hard news among progressives either. If there were, the Washington Post wouldn't be losing millions every month and Heather Cox Richardson wouldn't be swimming in cash like Scrooge McDuck.
— John Sexton (@verumserum) February 4, 2026
Gee, I can’t imagine why no conservative is interested in subscribing to the news organization that serves up this with the daily protein drink. pic.twitter.com/J839XUhrVG
— Queen of the Gulf of America and Greenland🌻 (@redandright) February 4, 2026
Where is the serious market for "hard news" for liberals? You guys actually believe the news you consume is playing it straight?? The lack of self awareness here is mind boggling
— JEFF2975 (@JEFFWH75) February 4, 2026
What market is there among liberals? The Washington Post is in the epicenter of rich, "highly-educated" liberals and yet none of you all subscribed to it. You just want to be gaslit. That's why Heather Cox Richardson and Miss Rachel are your preferred news sources.
— Chris (@chriswithans) February 4, 2026
When was the last time anything in WaPo was straight news? When?
— notallowedtosay (@havetobecompli6) February 4, 2026
Probably when they were reporting all of the casualty numbers provided by the Gaza Health Ministry.
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