Fred Ryan, the publisher of The Washington Post, said in a meeting with employees on Wednesday that the company would eliminate some positions early next year, including some in the newsroom, as the company looks to focus on different coverage areas.
Mr. Ryan said that the cuts would amount to a single-digit percentage of staff, adding that the company would finish its plans over the coming weeks. He said there would not be an overall reduction in the newsroom’s head count because the cuts would be offset by hiring in other areas. The newsroom has more than 1,000 employees.
Mr. Ryan’s remarks came during a contentious town hall meeting that culminated with Mr. Ryan stepping offstage without answering follow-up questions from employees, according to people with knowledge of the gathering.
In a statement, The Washington Post said the cuts were part of a plan to “invest in coverage, products, and people in service of providing high value to our subscribers and new audiences.”
“The Washington Post is evolving and transforming to put our business in the best position for future growth,” The Post said in a statement.
After the meeting, Mr. Ryan sent an email to the staff expanding on his remarks at the town hall, saying that he recognized that the announcement would “understandably generate a great deal of uncertainty across our organization,” according to a copy of the email reviewed by The New York Times.
The Washington Post has struggled to expand its digital subscriber base to the levels it reached during the years of the Trump administration, when readers flocked to coverage of the former president. The company is also battling a downturn in the ad market that has hurt companies across the publishing sector. The Post recently announced plans to close the print edition of its magazine.
Many employees have grown frustrated with The Post’s management, objecting to the company’s work-from-home policy and raising questions about its business strategy.
The organization has announced several prominent departures in recent months, including Shailesh Prakash, the company’s chief information officer; Kris Coratti, its chief communications officer; Kat Downs Mulder, the chief product officer; and Beth Diaz, The Post’s vice president of audience development and analytics. Steve Ginsberg, a managing editor at The Post, is joining at The New York Times Company as executive editor of The Athletic in January.
In the wake of Mr. Ryan’s announcement, several of The Post’s best-known writers, including Ashley Parker, Josh Dawsey, Jose Del Real, Shane Harris, John Woodrow Cox and Tyler Pager, notified the union that they wanted to join, according to several people with knowledge of the decisions.
Sally Buzbee, The Post’s executive editor, has sought to expand the paper’s coverage of areas including technology, climate and personal health since she took over in 2021. The company won the coveted Pulitzer Prize for public service this year, and the company has opened international breaking news hubs to provide round-the-clock coverage.
Ms. Buzbee told some staff members on Wednesday that she was made aware of the timing of the announcement on Tuesday, according to three people with knowledge of her remarks.
In a statement, The Washington Post said that Ms. Buzbee was fully engaged in the company’s transformation efforts.
Immediately after the town hall gathering, Ms. Buzbee held a prescheduled meeting with The Post’s national political staff. The meeting was intended to be about the 2024 campaign, but talk of the layoffs dominated the discussion.
Many media companies, including CNN, Gannett and Vox Media, have eliminated positions this year amid worsening economic conditions. Other news organizations have frozen hiring, to slow spending in an uncertain market.
Benjamin Mullin and Katie Robertson
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