Washington Post staffers were outraged on Wednesday when publisher Fred Ryan refused to take questions after announcing looming layoffs during a town hall event for employees of the "Democracy Dies in Darkness" paper.
Ryan, who serves as the chief executive for billionaire Jeff Bezos' newspaper, shut down inquiries after reportedly informing staffers that there would be layoffs during the first quarter of 2023.
"We’re not going to turn the town hall into a grievance session with the Guild," Ryan can be heard telling upset staffers seeking answers after he announced layoffs in a video shared by Post reporter Annie Gowen.
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A concerned staffer responded, "It’s not a grievance session, it’s questions," as Ryan turns his back and walks away.
Another staffer asked about protecting "people’s jobs," alluding to the recent elimination of the paper's magazine.
"We’ll have more information as we move forward. Thank you very much," Ryan answered before turning his back and walking away once again. Other employees shouted questions as the video was cut off, with one saying he appeared to be "disrespecting this process."
According to an insider, Ryan said the newspaper was "evolving and transforming," leading to investment in coverage, products and people who provided "high value" to subscribers and future audiences.
"We anticipate it will be a single-digit percentage of our employee base, and we will finalize those plans over the coming weeks," he said.
Washington Post chief communications officer Kathy Baird reiterated it would be a single-digit reduction in the employee base in a statement to Fox News Digital.
"The Washington Post is evolving and transforming to put our business in the best position for future growth. We are planning to direct our resources and invest in coverage, products, and people in service of providing high value to our subscribers and new audiences. As a result, a number of positions will be eliminated. We anticipate it will be a single-digit percentage of our employee base, and we will finalize those plans over the coming weeks. This will not be a net reduction in Post headcount. Recently, we have made some of the largest investments in The Post’s history and 2023 will be another year of continued investment," she said.
Washington Post publisher Fred Ryan refused to take questions after announcing looming layoffs during a town hall event for employees on Wednesday. (REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo)
Washington Post Guild leadership provided Fox News Digital with a lengthy statement blasting Ryan’s behavior as "unacceptable."
"Members of the Washington Post Guild are outraged at the unceremonious announcement of layoffs at today’s so-called town hall led by our publisher, Fred Ryan. After informing staffers that the company could eliminate up to 9 percent of positions companywide in the first quarter of next year, Ryan refused to take questions from his employees and walked out of the room. This behavior is unacceptable from any leader, but especially the leader of a news organization whose core values include transparency and accountability," the Guild said.
"There is no justification for The Post to lay off employees in a period of record growth and hiring. Ryan pledged that The Post will remain ‘as large or larger' than it is now — but it's little consolation to those who have given years of service to this company that The Post will continue to hire even as it kicks dedicated employees out of their jobs," the Guild continued. "Ryan said today that The Post is continually evolving to respond to a tumultuous media landscape and meet the needs of readers. Washington Post employees — people with experience, institutional knowledge and unique skills that can't be easily replaced — must be part of that transformation."
Last month, The Washington Post eliminated its Sunday magazine, cutting 10 staffers in the process, and the union was critical of Ryan before he announced additional layoffs.
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"Tomorrow, WaPo hosts a company ‘town hall.’ Employees sent questions in advance, but our publisher Fred Ryan rarely answers the hard ones. None are taken live," the union tweeted Tuesday. "But after brutal layoffs, we want answers about WaPo’s future. Democracy Dies in Darkness, right?"
The Guild also asked if the company is in "financial trouble," and why the recently laid-off staffers weren’t offered open jobs elsewhere at the company.
"The @washingtonpost is a news organization. Journalists who work here ask powerful people for answers every day. Tomorrow, we will turn that accountability inward and ask our publisher to speak truth to his employees. Stay tuned," the Guild wrote before the town hall.
Fred Ryan, who serves as the chief executive for billionaire Jeff Bezos’ newspaper, shut down inquiries after reportedly informing staffers that there would be layoffs during the first quarter of 2023. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
Ryan’s announcement comes during a brutal few weeks for the media industry that has seen Warner Bros. Discovery, Gannett and others slash headcount as economic uncertainty plagues news organizations.
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Gannett, a newspaper juggernaut that owns dozens of local media outlets along with USA Today, began its latest round of layoffs last month. The cost-cutting effort impacted roughly 6% of the company’s news workforce of about 3,440 employees.
Warner Bros. Discovery’s CNN is perhaps the highest profile example, as widespread layoffs resulted in everyone from high-profile talent to rank-and-file staffers losing their jobs. CNN has not publicly disclosed the total number of employees who were let go, but "hundreds" of staffers will ultimately be affected, according to Puck News.
The Walt Disney Company recently indicated it would also cut jobs and implement a hiring freeze. Amazon, Apple, Meta, Lyft and Twitter are among other companies either implementing hiring freezes or letting workers go as businesses pull back on spending.
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The Washington Post told Fox News Digital that the recent announcement will put the company "in the best position for future growth."
"The Washington Post is evolving and transforming to put our business in the best position for future growth. We are planning to direct our resources and invest in coverage, products, and people in service of providing high value to our subscribers and new audiences. As a result, a number of positions will be eliminated. We anticipate it will be a single digit percentage of our employee base, and we will finalize those plans over the coming weeks. This will not be a net reduction in Post headcount. Recently, we have made some of the largest investments in The Post’s history and 2023 will be another year of continued investment," the statement read.
This article was updated to show Ryan specfically spoke of a grievance session "with the Guild."
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