Washington Post Shutters Sports Section Amid Layoffs

Journalists lament the loss of the paper's sports coverage, but analysis suggests the content was lacking in recent weeks.

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

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The Washington Post has shuttered its sports section amid sweeping layoffs intended to transform the once-revered paper into a profitable product. While some journalists mourned the loss of the sports section, citing its history of great reporting and diversity, an analysis of the Post's recent sports-related output found little evidence to support those claims.

Why it matters

The closure of the Post's sports section highlights the broader challenges facing the newspaper industry, as it struggles to adapt to changing consumer preferences and find a sustainable business model. The debate over the value of the sports coverage also reflects broader tensions in the media landscape around the role of journalism, the prioritization of diverse voices, and the need to produce content that resonates with readers.

The details

The Washington Post's sports section was shuttered last week as part of sweeping layoffs at the paper. Some journalists, such as ESPN reporter Jenna Laine and New York Times reporter Ben Mullin, lamented the loss of the section, arguing it was a "champion of diversity" and a "leader in women's sports coverage." However, a Washington Free Beacon analysis of the Post's recent sports-related output found little evidence to support these claims. The analysis found the Post had published several feature articles that, while technically sports-related, were unlikely to engage most sports fans, including pieces on hockey's lack of LGBTQ+ representation, the NFL's diversity issues, and the lack of diversity in Olympic sports like Nordic combined.

  • The Washington Post shuttered its sports section last week.
  • The layoffs and changes at the Post were announced on February 11, 2026.

The players

Jenna Laine

An ESPN reporter who wrote that the Post's layoffs were "so troubling" because they signaled that "the appetite for real sports reporting has died" as the industry continued "its slow, inevitable burn.

Ben Mullin

A New York Times reporter who wrote a eulogy for "one of the last bastions of great sports writing" at the Post, and argued the paper was a "champion of diversity" and a "leader in women's sports coverage.

Tony Dungy

A black former NFL coach who was quoted in the Post's article about the league's lack of diversity, saying "I try not to look at it in terms of race."

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What they’re saying

“The layoffs were "so troubling" because they signaled that "the appetite for real sports reporting has died" as the industry continued "its slow, inevitable burn.”

— Jenna Laine, ESPN reporter (Washington Free Beacon)

“The Post was a "champion of diversity" and a "leader in women's sports coverage.”

— Ben Mullin, New York Times reporter (Washington Free Beacon)

“I try not to look at it in terms of race.”

— Tony Dungy, Black former NFL coach (Washington Free Beacon)

What’s next

The Washington Post has not indicated any specific plans for the future of its sports coverage following the closure of the dedicated section.

The takeaway

The closure of the Washington Post's sports section highlights the broader challenges facing the newspaper industry, as it struggles to adapt to changing consumer preferences and find a sustainable business model. While some journalists lamented the loss of the section, the evidence suggests the Post's recent sports coverage may not have been as indispensable or groundbreaking as claimed.