The Washington Post’s decision to slash a third of its staff prompted an outcry in Washington and around the world. The cuts, which included axing its sports reporters and gutting its foreign desks, renewed calls among some media figures for owner Jeff Bezos to consider selling the storied newspaper.
Potential buyers shouldn’t hold their breath: According to multiple senior media executives, plenty of media companies and wealthy individuals would be interested in acquiring the Post if it ever goes up for sale, but people who have spoken to Bezos say they remain unconvinced he wants to sell it. (A spokesperson for Bezos did not immediately respond to a request for comment.)
Still, the cuts have inspired the Washington media community to step in. Punchbowl founder Jake Sherman shared on X that he was available to potentially invest or advise on a publication covering Washington sports. Two people familiar with the situation told Semafor a group of newly laid-off Washington Post tech reporters already had some prospective financial backing for a Verge-like publication that could launch on Substack.
David Plotz, the CEO of City Cast, told Semafor in a phone call that the local podcast network was expanding its coverage of Washington as a direct result of the Post’s pullback, and would be immediately hiring four multi-platform journalists. The audio-first company, which is owned by the Graham family — the Post’s owners before Bezos — plans to introduce original reporting, and will pick up some local beats, including sports and metro coverage.
“A metro area of 6 million people cannot get by without good daily news reporting, which the Post has been the backbone of for 100 years,” Plotz told Semafor. “We have to find a new way, and we’re going to be a part of that new way.”