The Washington Post carried out one of the most sweeping job cuts in modern media on Wednesday, laying off nearly one-third of its staff and significantly scaling back coverage across departments. The restructuring included the shutdown of the newspaper’s sports section, the closure of multiple foreign bureaus, and the elimination of its books coverage.

More than 300 employees were dismissed, including senior international affairs columnist Ishaan Tharoor, son of Congress MP Shashi Tharoor. Tharoor confirmed his departure in a social media post, expressing heartbreak over the loss of international journalism at the publication and reflecting on his role in launching the WorldView column in 2017.

The layoffs also affected the paper’s New Delhi bureau chief Pranshu Verma, the entire Middle East reporting team, and correspondents in conflict zones, including Ukraine. Staff members said they were informed of their dismissal through emails following a company-wide meeting, with the scale of the cuts sending shockwaves through the newsroom.

Executive editor Matt Murray described the decision as painful but necessary, citing changing technology and audience habits. However, former executive editor Martin Baron criticised the move as “near-instant, self-inflicted brand destruction,” warning of long-term damage to the newspaper’s global influence. Journalism academics and former staff echoed concerns that the cuts could weaken one of the world’s most respected news organisations.