Washington Post cuts a third of its staff

The Washington Post has laid off one-third of its staff, eliminating its sports section, several foreign bureaus and its books coverage. The widespread purge announced Wednesday is a brutal blow to journalism and one of its most legendary brands. The Post’s executive editor, Matt Murray, called the move painful but necessary to put the outlet on stronger footing and weather changes in technology and user habits. He outlined the changes in a companywide online meeting. Staff members then began getting emails with one of two subject lines — telling them their role was or was not eliminated. Rumors of layoffs had circulated for weeks.