Staff Photographers at The Washington Post All Lose Their Jobs

The Washington Post laid off roughly a third of its workforce yesterday, including every single one of its staff photographers, PetaPixel understands.

Of the 800 journalists who work in the newsroom, 300 of them lost their jobs. The sports department is closing and international coverage is being reduced. One journalist working in Ukraine was notified that their role was being terminated while in a war zone.

The New York Times reports that owner Jeff Bezos has axed all of its staff photographers. PetaPixel is working to find out further information.

The National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) says in a statement that it understands the Post has laid off all nine of its staff photographers and half of its dozen photo editors.

“It’s hard to overstate how significant a moment this is for photojournalism… The Washington Post particularly has been an inspiration to countless photojournalists through its fearless and relentless coverage, both domestic and international. Their photojournalists and editors have swept the BOP and have regularly won Pulitzer prizes over the decades. They are legends in our field.”

PetaPixel has reached out to a few of the affected photographers and will update this article accordingly. One of the photographers, Jabin Botsford, has updated his Instagram bio to say “former staff photographer at The Washington Post.” Botsford was present at the Butler assassination attempt on Donald Trump, recording the shocking scenes on his Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses.

“Every time a photojournalist and picture editor is laid off in our profession, it is one less set of eyes to document a reality that often challenges official narratives,” says the NPPA. “And we grieve with all of our members who have seen their staff positions upended over the years. To have this happen in our nation’s capital, at a critical time when accountability has never been more important, is deeply troubling. Our association is committed to supporting independent visual journalists, and we will continue to do so as the news business model continues to struggle through economic crisis.”

This is a developing story…

Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.