No be small wahala o! Washington Post don drop bombshell wey shock everybody wey dey read their paper. Dem lay off about one-third of their staff like say dem dey play Operate on Fridays. Matt Murray, the executive editor, stand gidigba for zoom meeting come announce plenty cuts wey go affect every department, even the sports corner wey people dey enjoy.
Everywhere dey scatter. Sports department don close down, na so dem go suspend Post Reports, that popular podcast wey dey talk politics. E be like say dem wan downsize the whole international team too, but dem still go get around 12 locations wey dem go focus on national security — as dem rightly say, “no be patriotism.”
Some journalists wey fit lose their jobs na Ishaan Tharoor, Eva Dou, and Caroline O’Donovan wey dey cover Amazon. E just dey happen say dem in the sports team go dey reassign to other roles. Na wah! This one na serious matter for journalists wey dey hustle for di industry.
Murray talk say, “We dey need strategic reset,” but e no follow why dem no fit uphold dem model well as dem suppose. Dem say una fee point blame for Jeff Bezos wey own di paper since 2013, and him decision to cancel Kamala Harris’ endorsement don cause serious wahala, making people dey dash dem subscribe go dey look for better news elsewhere. Omo, if dem go fit rise from this mess nah hin be di big question.
As e be now, layoff rumors don dey since weeks, and e don turn to mental wahala for inside di newsroom. Staffers dey feel like dem be players for one kind sick psychological warfare wey no be funny. Ogbonnaya know say nobody fit really point di finger to one person, but conclude say nah bad decisions from di top wey dey cause di alarm.
Martin Baron, wey don serve as executive editor before, don talk say this one na among di darkest days for Washington Post history — and if you ask journalists, dem go tell you sey this cuts dey affect dem morale seriously. E be like say, “Di Post ambitious plans don dey shrink, and we go dey lose ground-level reporting wey dey help communities.”
Bezos dey busy with him own wahala wey no concern di paper. Dem say him no respond quick when di FBI raid reporter house. E get as e be! Staffers dey vex for di whole situation, saying no be cutdowns wey go help di paper long term, but rather make dem route for profit.
We dey enter era wey dem dey talk about AI product and innovations, but based on stories, they really no dey work for di Post. Dis one clash with di needs of di audience to deliver better journalism.
Wetin e go take make Bezos shift the perception and take this matter seriously? People dey shout say some journalists go quit di heat and leave di work for younger ones. But if dis cuts continue, wetin dey happen for dat tomorrow wey dem dey talk about?
As dem sabi say, “This na serious time for journalism worldwide,” dem go need find solution to maintain quality and save di institution. For now, cheers to di future wey dey shine, but no forget to keep una ear to di ground for any more updated gist as e dey come. E go sweet if we hear good news, sha!
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