Overview

• In May The Washington Post rolled out its Voluntary Separation Program for staffers with at least ten years’ service, offering between nine and 18 months of base pay to incentivize departures.
• Early in July, CEO Will Lewis emailed employees urging those who “do not feel aligned” with the paper’s new editorial approach to take the buyout offer.
• Every veteran obituary reporter except one has opted into the program, leaving the death notices desk with only a junior staffer in place.
• Dozens of experienced journalists, including political reporter Dan Balz and columnists Catherine Rampell, Jonathan Capehart and David von Drehle, have announced plans to depart.
• Many of the departing staffers have secured jobs at outlets such as The Athletic, The Atlantic, Reuters and The New York Times as The Post seeks to backfill critical roles.