Top Washington Post editor Matt Murray acknowledged “a widespread sense of loss, of genuine trauma” during a contentious town hall meeting with staff on Wednesday, following the layoff of nearly a third of the company’s employees a week earlier. Despite the turmoil, Murray expressed confidence that the Post was now on a path to success, according to a recording obtained by the Guardian.
Murray, who joined the Post in 2024, described the scope of the financial problems as a “shocking discovery” for management but said he did not want to “look backwards and litigate the past”. He added: “The company has been a mess in lots of ways for a long time, but I’m confident stars are aligning in a positive way.” The cuts were based on readership data, with sports, international, local and style sections particularly hard-hit.
Murray noted that while the Post thrived during the first Trump administration, there was “no more Trump bump” now. “People are reading [about] Donald Trump, but they also want to escape from Donald Trump,” he said. He downplayed subscription cancellations in protest, calling them “not very heavy” and within expectations.
Acting publisher Jeff D’Onofrio, appointed after Will Lewis’s abrupt resignation, told staff: “For the past five years, the Post has not directly addressed deeply rooted problems… This was a decision to change the scope and direction of our business.” He reassured employees: “We will get to the other side of this… We are on the same team.”
Longtime staffers expressed scepticism, with one veteran reporter saying: “I’ve not seen this place as demoralized as it is right now.” Murray responded: “I can’t tell you to believe in me or believe in Jeff or believe in other Jeff,” but added he had faith in the masthead team. Another reporter questioned how the Post could move forward when it could not “do the basics any more”, citing errors in the print product since the cuts.
