Washington Post Cuts Staff, Sparking Outrage from 'Public' Media

Former Post editors criticize owner Jeff Bezos for scaling back the paper's anti-Trump coverage

Published on Feb. 15, 2026

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The Washington Post's announcement that it will cut 300 jobs has sparked outrage from 'public' media outlets like NPR and PBS, whose journalists have criticized the move as an abandonment of the paper's aggressive anti-Trump reporting. Former Post editors Marty Baron and Marcus Brauchli have joined the criticism, suggesting that owner Jeff Bezos is no longer committed to the paper's 'moral core' and is instead becoming 'deferential to Trump'.

Why it matters

The Washington Post has long been seen as a bastion of liberal, anti-Republican journalism, particularly in its coverage of the Trump presidency. The outcry from 'public' media outlets over the staffing cuts suggests they view the Post as an important ally in their own crusade against conservative politics and fear the paper may be scaling back its partisan approach.

The details

The Post's decision to cut 300 jobs was met with strong criticism from NPR and PBS, whose journalists argued the paper was abandoning its commitment to 'sophisticated, contextualized reporting.' Former Post editors Marty Baron and Marcus Brauchli joined the criticism, with Baron suggesting Bezos was making the paper 'deferential to Trump' and 'changing the opinion pages' to remove columnists 'left of center.' The cuts were seen as a betrayal by some, who viewed Bezos as a 'champion of tough and intense journalism' against the Trump administration.

  • The Washington Post announced the 300 job cuts in February 2026.

The players

The Washington Post

A major American daily newspaper known for its liberal, anti-Republican editorial stance, particularly during the Trump presidency.

Jeff Bezos

The billionaire owner of The Washington Post, who has been accused of scaling back the paper's aggressive anti-Trump coverage.

Marty Baron

A former executive editor of The Washington Post who has criticized the paper's current direction under Bezos.

Marcus Brauchli

Another former executive editor of The Washington Post who has joined in criticizing the paper's current direction.

NPR

A publicly-funded media organization that has expressed outrage over The Washington Post's staffing cuts.

PBS

A publicly-funded media organization that has also expressed outrage over The Washington Post's staffing cuts.

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What they’re saying

“They're saying that readers of The Washington Post deserve sophisticated, contextualized reporting that requires a sophisticated, contextualized reporting team.”

— David Folkenflik, NPR media reporter (NPR)

“The Washington Post, its readers and the country deserve better.”

— Marty Baron, Former executive editor, The Washington Post (NPR)

“Jeff Bezos, who could keep the Wash Post a pillar of American democracy with the change dug out from his limousine seats, sets an example of surrender to authoritarianism for every other business person and institution in America.”

— Nicholas Kristof (Twitter)

The takeaway

The Washington Post's staffing cuts have sparked a fierce backlash from 'public' media outlets like NPR and PBS, who view the paper as a key ally in their own ideological crusade against conservative politics. The criticism from former Post editors suggests the paper's owner, Jeff Bezos, is backing away from the paper's aggressive anti-Trump stance, a move that is seen by many on the left as a betrayal of the Post's democratic mission.