Currently, approximately 800 journalists work at the newspaper, and both commercial department employees and editorial staff are affected by the cuts.
According to the NYT, editor-in-chief Matt Murray informed the staff that the newspaper "has been losing money for a long time and has not met audience demands." This situation has prompted management to focus on covering national news and politics, as well as business and healthcare, while significantly reducing attention to other topics.
Murray noted that "today's changes are aimed at taking a more significant position in the lives of readers amid growing competition in the media market."
He also added that the international department will be significantly reduced, and the sports section will be closed, although some employees from that department will be able to transition to other positions. The book section and the daily news podcast Post Reports will also be shut down.
According to National Public Radio, layoffs began on February 4 "at the direction" of the newspaper's owner Jeff Bezos. These cuts affect nearly all editorial divisions. Murray explained that the newspaper has not kept pace with the changes of the times, and the need for transformation has long been overdue, given the "complex and even frustrating realities."
