While fashion cameras clicked in Paris, a very different drama was unfolding thousands of miles away at The Washington Post.
Journalists at the storied newspaper are pleading with owner Jeff Bezos to spare their jobs as the company prepares to slash hundreds of positions.
Meanwhile, Bezos’ wife, Lauren Sanchez, turned heads on the Paris Fashion Week runway in a show-stopping couture ensemble.
Up to 300 staffers could face layoffs as CEO Will Lewis moves to reshape the paper, aiming to reverse the publication’s multimillion-dollar losses, according to Puck.
#SaveThePost Gains Momentum Online
The looming cuts have sparked outrage among current and former Post employees, with the hashtag #SaveThePost gaining traction across social media this week.
Staffers are using the platform to call attention to the crucial work they do — from national security reporting to investigative journalism abroad — and plead with Bezos to reconsider.
Bezos at Dior While Staff Protest
On Monday, Bezos attended the Christian Dior Haute Couture show alongside Sanchez, who impressed in a pale blue skirt and matching jacket with a luxurious fur collar.
Meanwhile, back in Washington, newsroom staffers were voicing frustration and fear over their uncertain futures.
The Washington Post Guild released a statement urging Bezos to abandon the planned cuts:
“The Post Guild vehemently opposes any more cuts to the staff of The Washington Post.
Eliminating workers who make this institution what it is only weakens the paper, drives away readers, and undercuts The Post’s mission: to hold power accountable without fear or favor and provide critical insight across the world.
If Jeff Bezos no longer supports that mission, the Post and its readers deserve a steward who does.”
Focus on Core Coverage Hits Sports Desk Hard
CEO Will Lewis reportedly plans to prioritize “core coverage areas” like national security and politics, leaving other departments — notably sports — most vulnerable to cuts, Puck reported.
Staffers expressed alarm at the potential loss of experienced colleagues and the impact on essential reporting.
Mexico bureau chief Samantha Schmidt emphasized the risks international correspondents take:
“We risk our safety to investigate authoritarian governments, report from gang-controlled towns, and document stolen elections.
This on-the-ground reporting is more critical than ever.”
Ukrainian bureau chief Siobhan O’Grady tagged Bezos in a social media plea, highlighting the importance of their coverage in Ukraine’s ongoing conflict.
She shared a photo of herself, a colleague, and a Ukrainian soldier taking cover in a battlefield trench, writing:
“Your wife has called our team ‘badass beacons of hope.’
We risk our lives for the stories our readers demand. Please believe in us and #SaveThePost.”
Journalists Share Stories of Risk and Dedication
Other reporters, including Souad Mekhennet, David J. Lynch, and Turkish correspondent Yeganeh Torbati, also appealed directly to Bezos, detailing the dangers they face covering terrorism, international security, and human rights abuses.
Mekhennet recounted experiences with imprisonment, threats, and narrowly escaping kidnappings, urging:
“Journalism matters to America and the world.”
A Billionaire Owner’s Quest for Profit
Jeff Bezos, who purchased The Washington Post for $250 million in 2013, has previously emphasized that the newspaper should become profitable.
With a personal net worth estimated at $250 billion, critics argue that the paper’s financial concerns contrast sharply with the couple’s high-profile lifestyle.
The Post has already laid off hundreds of staffers since 2023, offering multiple rounds of buyouts.
In September 2024, CEO Lewis warned staff about declining readership and financial strain, bluntly noting:
“People are not reading your stuff.”
Controversies and Departures Shake the Newsroom
Staff morale has been further shaken by several controversial decisions, including a last-minute withdrawal of a Post endorsement of Kamala Harris and a reshaping of the opinion section to emphasize “personal liberties and free markets.”
These moves have prompted further exits and concerns about the paper’s direction.
Bezos, Sanchez, and Their Public Lives
Meanwhile, Bezos and Sanchez have kept their relationship in the public eye.
The pair, who met in 2016 while each married to other partners, made their relationship official in 2019 following Bezos’ divorce from MacKenzie Scott.
Scott, Bezos’ former wife of 25 years, has donated billions from her divorce settlement to nonprofits.
As the Post faces major staffing upheaval, journalists continue to call for leadership that values their critical work — while Bezos and Sanchez maintain a glamorous presence on the global stage.
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