A transportation reporter named Rachel Weiner led a protest outside The Washington Post headquarters just after massive layoffs—her job title perfectly mirroring the chaotic “movement” she ignited against billionaire owner Jeff Bezos.
Story Snapshot
- Rachel Weiner, 15-year WaPo transportation reporter, spearheaded rally on February 6, 2026, day after 300 journalists (one-third of newsroom) got axed.
- Protest symbolized irony: transportation beat fits public disruption outside D.C. building amid instant system lockouts.
- CEO Will Lewis resigned days later; unions blast Bezos for prioritizing profits over journalism.
- Cuts eliminated sports, books, photography desks; slashed Metro and foreign coverage permanently.
Rachel Weiner Leads the Rally
Rachel Weiner stepped to the microphone outside The Washington Post’s D.C. headquarters on February 6, 2026. She addressed the crowd after layoffs hit 300 staff the previous day. Weiner, a transportation reporter for 15 years, decried immediate lockouts from email and systems. Previous buyouts allowed reporters to finish work; this round stranded them instantly. Her speech lamented lost regional coverage, especially Metro stories vital to D.C. readers. Chants targeted Jeff Bezos, the world’s fourth richest man, for refusing to fund the paper.
Layoffs Hit Hard and Fast
Washington Post announced cuts on February 5, 2026, affecting nearly one-third of the newsroom. Sports and books desks vanished entirely. Photography staff disappeared. Metro and foreign bureaus shrank sharply. Reporters like Michael Brice-Saddler on D.C. communities, Molly Hensley-Clancy in sports, and Marissa J. Lang on enterprise spoke at the rally. Unions called the moves devastating. Unlike past rounds, executives revoked access immediately, leaving Ukraine correspondents disconnected mid-story.
Jeff Bezos Owns the Chaos
Jeff Bezos bought The Washington Post in 2013. Subscriber losses mounted after the 2024 election. The paper ditched a planned Kamala Harris endorsement and tilted opinion pages rightward. Ex-editor Martin Baron labeled it self-inflicted brand destruction. Tens of thousands canceled subscriptions. Talent fled amid financial pressures from ad shifts. Bezos stayed silent on layoffs, delegating to executives while protesters dubbed him a coward for not investing more in journalism’s mission.
CEO Will Lewis Exits Abruptly
Will Lewis became CEO in January 2024 from The Wall Street Journal. His tenure brought rocky reorganizations, prior cuts, and top editor Sally Buzbee’s exit. Lewis oversaw the February 5 bloodbath for a sustainable future. He resigned via staff email on February 7 or 8, calling it the right time after tough calls. Bezos praised him. Jeff D’Onofrio, ex-Raptive and Google, stepped in as interim CEO, vowing to tackle media headwinds with data-driven reader focus.
Unions Demand Bezos Sell or Reverse
Post News Guild and Post Tech Guild organized the rally. They deemed Lewis’ exit long overdue and his legacy attempted destruction. Unions urged Bezos to rescind cuts or sell the paper. Veterans like Kathryn Tolbert, with 27 years, called it heartbreaking and fundamentally different. Poynter Institute named it one of WaPo’s darkest days, signaling industry-wide shrinkage. Common sense aligns with executives: media faces real economic storms; endless subsidies ignore market realities and conservative fiscal discipline.
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Laid-off Washington Post staff rally outside D.C. headquarters after massive cuts
CEO of the Washington Post steps down days after mass layoffs
Why did the Washington Post layoffs happen?
