GoFundMe for Laid-Off Washington Post Staffers Raises Over $130K

The outpouring of financial support has dwarfed similar efforts at other newsrooms that experienced layoffs.

Published on Feb. 4, 2026

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A GoFundMe page set up for Washington Post staffers impacted by recent layoffs has raised over $130,000 from more than 1,000 supporters, including a $10,000 donation from tech journalist and former Post employee Kara Swisher. The fundraising push was launched just hours after the company began cutting workers, with the newsroom union blaming "inexcusable business decisions of top Post leadership" for the layoffs.

Why it matters

The significant outpouring of support for laid-off Washington Post employees highlights the value the public places on quality journalism, even as media companies face economic challenges. The fundraiser's success could inspire similar efforts at other news organizations impacted by layoffs.

The details

The GoFundMe page was set up by Post reporter Rachel Siegel and the newsroom's union. In addition to Swisher's $10,000 donation, other top donors appeared to be former Washington Post staffers like Eugene Robinson and Fred Barbash. The Post is shutting down its podcast "Post Reports" and letting go of journalists focused on sports, books, and foreign affairs as part of a broader restructuring to refocus the newsroom on areas like politics and national security.

  • The GoFundMe page was launched just a few hours after company executives began cutting workers on February 4, 2026.
  • As of February 4, 2026, the fundraiser had received over $130,000 in donations from more than 1,000 supporters.

The players

Kara Swisher

A tech journalist and former Washington Post employee who donated $10,000 to the GoFundMe page.

Rachel Siegel

A Washington Post reporter who set up the GoFundMe page for laid-off staffers.

Washington Baltimore News Guild

The union representing the Washington Post's newsroom, which helped set up the GoFundMe page and blamed "inexcusable business decisions of top Post leadership" for the layoffs.

Matt Murray

The Washington Post's executive editor, who told employees the layoffs were designed to trim costs and refocus the newsroom around a smaller set of coverage areas.

Jeff Bezos

The billionaire owner of the Washington Post.

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What they’re saying

“Post Guild members have come together to support their colleagues with this GoFundMe. The Washington Post is taking a number of difficult but decisive actions today for our future, in what amounts to a significant restructuring across the company.”

— Washington Baltimore News Guild spokesperson (Business Insider)

“Today is about positioning ourselves to become more essential to people's lives in what has become a more crowded, competitive, and complicated media landscape. For too long, we've operated with a structure that's too rooted in the days when we were a quasi-monopoly local newspaper.”

— Matt Murray, Washington Post Executive Editor (Business Insider)

“I had the means to donate a decent chunk of dough to these hardworking employees, and I urge others to do the same.”

— Kara Swisher (Threads)

The takeaway

The success of the GoFundMe campaign for laid-off Washington Post staffers highlights the public's appreciation for quality journalism and the challenges media companies face in the current landscape. The outpouring of support could inspire similar efforts at other news organizations impacted by layoffs, as the industry navigates an evolving business environment.