A wave of support is flowing to journalists impacted by Wednesday’s layoffs at The Washington Post, with a GoFundMe campaign surpassing $190,000 in donations as of today, .
The fundraiser, initiated by Post reporter Rachel Siegel and members of the newsroom’s union, aims to provide financial assistance to those affected by the staff reductions. As of this afternoon, supporters have contributed $191,613, with a goal of $350,000. Funds will be distributed via Venmo and Zelle to cover immediate needs like moving costs, visa expenses, childcare, healthcare, and basic living expenses.
“We are devastated and raising funds to help them,” Siegel wrote on the GoFundMe page. “In the days ahead, we will need help in different ways — financial aid, job search and other forms of assistance… What has made The Post special for so long is the people in this newsroom. How resourceful we are. How much we care for each other. And that will continue.”
The outpouring of support exceeds fundraising efforts launched after recent layoffs at other news organizations, signaling a deep concern within the industry and among former staff. Kara Swisher, a prominent technology journalist and former Washington Post employee, led initial donations with a contribution of $10,000.
The layoffs themselves come amidst a significant restructuring at the publication, as owner Jeff Bezos seeks to adapt to a rapidly evolving media landscape. The scale of the cuts has prompted unusual public appeals to Bezos, with the White House team at the Post sending a letter urging him to reconsider the reductions. The team emphasized the importance of collaboration across all sections of the paper – foreign, sports, local, and political – for both readership and subscriber growth.
According to the letter, more than half of new subscribers acquired in a typical month came from stories that relied on desks facing cutbacks, including International and Metro reporting. Recent scoops regarding US military action in Venezuela and reporting on former President Donald Trump were specifically cited as examples of cross-departmental success.
The changes at The Washington Post extend beyond staffing levels. The publication’s focus is shifting, with a move away from promoting journalism itself towards “talent promotion,” according to Kathleen Floyd, senior publicist and co-chair of the Post’s union. Six staffers from the publication’s relations department were let go on , leaving only four managers remaining.
Chief communications officer Kathy Baird confirmed the shift in a memo, stating that traditional outreach methods are no longer effective in reaching audiences. The publication is undergoing a “transformation to meet the needs of the industry, build a more sustainable future and reach audiences where they are,” according to a spokesperson.
The layoffs represent approximately four percent of the publication’s workforce, though no positions within the newsroom itself were eliminated in that particular round of cuts. However, 73 people were laid off in the advertising department. The Post has also, for the first time in recent years, refrained from sending reporters to the Winter Olympics this February.
The situation has sparked considerable distress among staff. National Culture writer Jada Yuan shared on X (formerly Twitter) that she had “reached the crying stage of layoffs,” and called for support for the more than 280 staffers impacted. Deputy White House editor Annah Aschbrenner expressed gratitude for the support received via Venmo and social media.
Yuan also reported that entire departments have been shut down, including much of the features section and arts coverage. She noted that colleagues stationed in Ukraine and Jerusalem may be forced to return home as a result of the cuts.
Swisher, in a post on Threads, publicly criticized Bezos, stating, “My take today on Jeff Bezos since I met him at his struggling start up in the 1990s in Seattle: Twice the muscles, half the man.”
Wednesday’s layoffs are estimated to have impacted approximately one-third of the staff, and the GoFundMe campaign remains open for donations as the publication navigates this period of significant change.
