In February, the Washington Post implemented significant layoffs, cutting more than 300 journalists and reducing its workforce by about 30 percent. The cuts affected several key areas, including sports, local news, and international reporting.
Rebecca Sinderbrand, professor of the practice and director of the Journalism Program at Georgetown University’s College of Arts & Sciences, commented on these developments as part of an ongoing discussion about changes in journalism. According to Sinderbrand, the recent layoffs were not unexpected given broader trends in the industry.
“The shock is that there have been a handful of legacy national news outlets that hold an outsized place in public consciousness and appear to have made a successful transition to the new era, either through new profit models, subsidy by exceptionally wealthy owners, or both,” Sinderbrand said. “Until fairly recently, the Post was on that short list.”
Sinderbrand noted that staff reductions and newsroom closures have become more common across major media organizations over several decades. She explained that trust remains a central issue for traditional journalism: “For traditional journalism, the issue of trust is an existential one. For decades, trust in legacy journalism has been declining, alongside trust in other societal institutions.” She added that larger news organizations often maintain rigorous verification processes and dedicated legal teams—resources independent creators may lack.
She pointed out that social media platforms have enabled solo journalists and influencers to compete with established outlets in terms of content production and reach. As experienced journalists move into independent content creation or are pushed out by layoffs, Sinderbrand suggested quality differences between mainstream and independent reporting may diminish.
However, she highlighted that certain types of reporting—such as political beat coverage and investigative or international work—require resources typically only available to large organizations. “Foreign bureaus were the first to disappear – the Post had been one of the few holdouts,” she said.
Sinderbrand also observed that most national outlets are withdrawing from local coverage while many local organizations cannot sustain permanent oversight reporting. Despite this trend away from some forms of public service journalism, she expressed hope for efforts aimed at reviving these roles: “We can’t reverse it – the world moves in one direction. But hopefully, the individuals who have been working to revive and sustain this necessary reporting… will succeed.”
Regarding technology’s role in journalism’s future, Sinderbrand discussed both challenges and opportunities presented by artificial intelligence (AI). Some newsrooms have experimented with AI for writing tasks due to staffing shortages but found mixed results so far. Others use AI tools with human oversight for data gathering—a practice adopted even among her students at Georgetown: “Journalism students are literally able to use large language models to create their own apps… There is obviously the need for multiple rounds of rigorous verification…”
The industry’s search for sustainable revenue continues amid declining traffic numbers. Subscription-based offerings focused on lifestyle content have helped some publications like The New York Times find success; others such as The Atlantic have attracted subscribers through different approaches. Additional experiments include newsletters and live events as alternative income streams. Some outlets now operate as nonprofits or rely on philanthropic support.
Despite uncertainties facing journalism’s business model and technological disruptions ahead, Sinderbrand remains optimistic because of her students’ commitment: “My biggest source of hope for journalism is the students I work with every day… They’re entering this profession with eyes wide open… And still, each spring, students are determined to find a way to keep reporting past graduation.”
