WaPo Town Hall Goes Off the Rails As Publisher Refuses to Take Questions
Source: Screenshot
A Washington Post town hall on Wednesday went off the rails as publisher Fred Ryan refused to take questions from employees and accused them of turning the event into a “grievance session.”
Employees tried asking Ryan questions but he quickly shut them down and walked away following his presentation, according to a video shared by Post national correspondent Annie Gowen.
“We’re not going to turn the town hall into a grievance session,” said Ryan. “I’m sorry, thank you.”
“It’s not a grievance session, it’s a question,” replied the employee who attempted to ask Ryan a question. Gowen’s video didn’t show what question was asked.
“Fred, you talk about positions getting eliminated. What are you going to do to protect people’s jobs?” asked another employee. “Are they going to be treated like the magazine staffers were?”
“We’ll have more information as we move forward,” replied Ryan. “Thank you very much.”
The Post announced on Wednesday that there will be positions eliminated, but it won’t result in a net loss of jobs, citing a record investment in the newsroom.
“The Washington Post is evolving and transforming our business in the best position for future growth. We are planning to direct our resources and invest in coverage, products, and people in service of providing our subscribers and new audiences,” said the outlet in a statement. “As a result, a number of positions will be eliminated. We anticipate it will be a single-digit percentage of our employee base, and we will finalize those plans over the coming weeks. This will not be a net reduction in Post headcount. Recently, we have made some of the largest investments in The Post’s history, and 2023 will be another year of continued investment.”
On Tuesday, the Washington Post guild demanded answers from Ryan.
“Tomorrow, WaPo hosts a company “town hall.” Employees sent questions in advance, but our publisher Fred Ryan rarely answers the hard ones. None are taken live. But after brutal layoffs, we want answers about WaPo’s future. Democracy Dies in Darkness, right? Here’s what we asked,” tweeted the guild, followed by these questions:
Will there be more layoffs? In the event of future cuts, will WaPo make an effort to find positions for those people inside the company as we continue to hire and grow?
Is the company in financial trouble? With dozens of open jobs in the newsroom, why did WaPo lay off our colleagues in Features and the magazine? Why weren’t they offered jobs elsewhere in the newsroom, despite their decades of experience and valuable skills?
The recent layoffs have resulted in cuts focused on the Features department, home to our award-winning and highly read culture and arts journalism. Is this a sign that WaPo is divesting from this coverage area? Why is Features being targeted?
Please articulate a clear business plan and editorial vision for WaPo’s future. Is The Post considering selling Arc XP, the cloud-based digital experience platform that helped establish us as a digital powerhouse? How does WaPo plan to make up for that expected revenue stream?
