Jeff Bezos' Washington Post launches major newsroom clear-out

[turbinetree]

By Travis Gettys
Published May 27, 2025 1:03 PM ET

Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos is offering buyouts to dozens of staffers.

The newspaper has offered buyout packages to opinion writers, staffers with 10 years’ experience and entire departments, including the video desk, the copy desk and the sports copy desks, reported The Daily Beast.

“Like the rest of our industry, we are adapting to changing habits and new technologies that are transforming news experiences,” executive editor Matt Murray told staffers in a memo obtained by the Beast. “Even as we have begun creating new departments and welcoming new colleagues, to reach new audiences we must increase our staffing flexibility and expand in areas such as audience data and social video.”

Staffers were given until July to decide whether to accept the buyouts, but opinion staffers were also told the offer was meant to let them “make a clear-eyed decision on whether they want to be part of the new direction for Post Opinion.”

https://www.rawstory.com/jeff-bezos-washington-post-2672214970/

What a twisted POS, men and woman have died to have and protect the 1st Amendment..............changing habits............ no greed is the habit of decay in a democracy or what's left of it...........

[Passages]

2. No such thing as a good billionaire.

[Duppers]

8. ❓

"Warren Buffet is one of the world's most prolific philanthropists and has pledged to give away more than 99% of his wealth. This kind-hearted nonagenarian donates billions each year to the Bill and Melinda Gates' foundation and he co-founded The Giving Pledge with Gates."

Not perfect but not that exactly despicable.

[Cha]

14. And Mark Cuban.

[Passages]

18. Billionaires exist essentially due to their exemption from taxes.

Billionaires should not exist, period.

Buffet loves his country so much that he could not find it within himself to endorse Harris for president.

He doesn't like to intervene in many issues.

Sanders wrote to the billionaire businessman and asked him to “intervene” on behalf of 450 striking steelworkers, who face possible pay cuts and increased health-care costs.
Buffett cited Berkshire’s policy of allowing companies it owns to handle labor and personnel decisions.
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/12/30/warren-buffett-tells-bernie-sanders-he-wont-intervene-in-special-metals-strike.html

[underpants]

3. 10 years experience sounds like age discrimination

But I’m not a lawyer.

[dsc]

5. Even the original source wasn't very clear

this could mean he offered to those with 10 years or less which would likely be at least a fourth of the work force or it could mean he targeted those with at least 10 years of experience. Though often buyouts are targeted to employees close to retirement and aren't considered age discrimination.

[Ms. Toad]

10. Age discrimination is tied to age 40.

And applies only to those discriminating against those over 40. So if it is a buyout that is unavailable to younger staffers it is not age discrimination.

But that technicality aside - anyone taking the buyout will do so pursuant to a signed agreement forfeiting the right to sue. Unless Bezos is really stupid. Any company that has ever had even passsing acquaintance with legal counsel has separation agreements that offer something more than they would get for resigning in exchange for forfeiting the right to sue for discrimination.

[Celerity]

16. No.

Age discrimination is tied to age 40. And applies only to those discriminating against those over 40.

DU shows that claim to be bollocks on a regular basis. Far too many here love a good youth bash and absolutely discriminate against us younger folk.

The youth hate here from some is one of the things I will miss the least when I leave DU.

[Ms. Toad]

19. Perhaps you should fact check before calling something bollocks.

https://www.eeoc.gov/statutes/age-discrimination-employment-act-1967

The ADEA prohibits employment discrimination against persons 40 years of age or older.

This question came up in a legal context (potential employment discrimination). I provided the legal answer.

I'm not suggesting that there aren't biases about all sorts of things - including age. But employment discrimination is a legal concept, and the law is designed to expressly a protects people over 40.

So no, people under 40 have no legal basis to challenge a buyout which favors older individuals. To the extent there might be a legal claim from people over 40 about being pushed out, any buyout agreement will be drafted to protect the employer from such claims.

[Celerity]

20. I was speaking to general principle, not some narrowed legal basis. Sorry if that was not clear.

[Bonx]

4. Youg people appear to have abandoned WaPo and NYT.

I don't see much of their stuff reposted on popular social media. The columnists and content don't resonate.

[Kid Berwyn]

6. 1984 with supercomputers run by A.I.

Niiiiice.

[UTUSN]

13. Was going to say...

[BoRaGard]

7. Bezos (R) is in full Brown Nose mode

Screw the Post.

[DoBW]

9. how to make a rag *nt*

[blogslug]

11. He could fully fund that paper, at a loss, and still have plenty of money.

Instead, he kowtows to a tyrant and sends rich people to space in cruise ships.

[Jack Valentino]

12. How far they have fallen from 'all the President's men'....

[fujiyamasan]

15. If Bezos wants to use the Post as his propaganda rag

He may as well make it free, because I can’t imagine them holding on to too many more subscribers. As it is, I’m guessing he’s heavily subsidizing it at a loss.

The paper already lost several thousands of subscribers, columnists and editorialists after Bezos intervened to not have them endorse a candidate. I would imagine more journalists will leave at this rate, leaving it with little credibility.

[thought crime]

17. One of the "new" technologies is a memory hole