Washington Post Cuts Sports, Books Sections in Restructuring

Newspaper owned by Jeff Bezos aims to restore profitability through job cuts and department closures.

Feb. 4, 2026 at 7:39pm

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The Washington Post, owned by billionaire Jeff Bezos, has begun a round of job cuts that will shrink nearly all of its news departments. The newspaper is closing its sports department, books section, and Post Reports podcast as part of an effort to pare losses and restore the struggling newspaper to profitability.

Why it matters

The Washington Post is one of the most prominent newspapers in the United States, and these cuts reflect the ongoing challenges facing the news industry as it navigates the digital landscape. The elimination of the sports and books departments could impact coverage of those topics for Post readers.

The details

On a call with staff, Post management said the newspaper was closing its sports department, although it would retain several reporters to cover athletics from a cultural standpoint. The books section and Post Reports podcast will also shut down. The digital and print editor desks will merge into one team. The Post did not specify how many jobs were being eliminated, but Bloomberg reported last month that the newspaper was planning significant cuts.

  • The job cuts and department closures began on Wednesday, February 5, 2026.

The players

The Washington Post

A prominent American daily newspaper owned by billionaire Jeff Bezos.

Jeff Bezos

The billionaire owner of The Washington Post.

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The takeaway

These cuts at The Washington Post reflect the ongoing challenges facing the news industry as it navigates the digital landscape. The elimination of the sports and books departments could impact coverage of those topics for Post readers, underscoring the difficult decisions newspapers must make to restore profitability.