'Washington Post' To Hire 'Dozens' Of Journalists
- by Sara Guaglione , December 29, 2016
The Washington Post plans to
expand its newsroom by about 60 journalists in early 2017 -- a large number of hires at a time when many publishers are making staff
cuts.
The Washington Post's publisher Fred Ryan told Politico’s Ken Doctor, who first reported the news Tuesday, that the Post is adding "dozens of reporters" to its workforce. Sources told Doctor the additions could be as many as five dozen new hires.
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This year, the Post newsroom has grown by more than 8% to around 750 people.
The hires come after Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos, who is also the founder and CEO of Amazon, reportedly invested up to $50 million in the company last year. Bezos bought the Post in October 2013.
Next year, the Post plans to add a "rapid-response" investigative team and expand its video journalism, especially its mobile video production. Journalists will also be added to the Post’s breaking news team, and the publisher will invest in its podcasts, photography and mobile.
“We looked at what succeeded for us in 2016 and made investments there,” Ryan told Doctor.
In a memo, Ryan said the Post is now "a profitable and growing company."
The Post's online traffic had increased by nearly 50% in the past year. New subscriptions have grown by 75%, and digital subscription revenue has more than doubled, Ryan said.
Earlier this month, the Post hired Scot Gillespie as its first chief technology officer, and at the time Ryan emphasized the important partnership “between news, engineering and product” at the Post.
“In recent years, The Washington Post has focused on transforming into a growing, world-class media and technology company,” he stated.
The Post isn’t the only paper to have increased subscriptions this fall. For example, The Wall Street Journal reported record growth in subscriptions. But hiring is another story - in October, WSJ sought “a substantial number” of buyouts to limit the number of layoffs it will inevitably need to undergo.
So, when I buy more toys from Amazon, I'm supporting good journalism?
... This must be Heaven.
In addition to a $50 million investment, Jeff Bezos brings something else even more valuable to the table - subscribers! Starting in 2015, Amazon Prime members can receive a free 6-month subscription to WaPo and a deeply discounted rate thereafter. In fact, that's how I became a subscriber. Beyond the Washington "insider" quality of political coverage, the Post covers an array of science, lifestyle, entertainment topics from an interesting and often surprising perspective. The introductory offer provides plenty of time to get hooked and then the discount makes it easy to stay. Very effective strategy. But the foundation is good journalism so it's not surprising that Bezos is investing in journalists.
In 2013, Jeff Bezos founder/CEO of Amazon, bought the Washington Post for $250 million. Four months later, Bezos and Amazon Web Services were awarded a $600M contract with the CIA.
Thus, the CIA has a direct connection to the owner of Washington Post. Yet you nevers ee any kind of acknowledgment in stories they write about the CIA.
This becomes increasingly relevant as you consider the Washington Post has been the "go-to" outlet for CIA claims -- as yet unproven and undocumented -- that the Russians hacked the DNC. The Washington Post this week even published a long piece by a "former" [as if there is any such thing] CIA officer that rationalized why this proof of Russian meddling should not be revealed to the public.
So pardon my lack of enthusiasm for the hiring of more....whatever these people are going to be at the Washington Post. Get back to me when the papert starts asking the question "Where is Eric Braverman?" who hasn't been mentioned in the paper, best I can tell, since Spring of 2015.
I'd also recommend Deborah Davis's "Katharine the Great," the insightful biography of The Washington Post's fomer publisher, which details the paper's earlier ties to the CIA and Operation Mockingbird, the agency's decade-long project to control human assets throughout major media. Ironically, you can buy it through Amazon but not from Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/Katharine-Great-Graham-Washington-Empire/dp/0941781135
"Ironically"? Most of the items at Amazon are "sold through" rather than "by" Amazon.
Why would anyone see this as some sort of conspiracy? Of the two dozen or so books I've bought from Amazon recently, on both sides of the political issue, all of them were "sold through" Amazon.
Now, if the book wasn't available at all, it would be an issue.
P.S, ... But I do agree with your point. If some sources provide nothing but false information, they should be ignored. Thanks for the helpful tip.
This is no doubt in direct response to the new Trump administration. And the people who the President Elect is putting in his cabinet and below. The journalistic effort will not friendly to these people for the next four years. Expect other news organizations to follow the same path and hire more journalists to keep an eye on the new President.
Hello, Chuck. The "ironic" thing was mostly snark. The book's out of print. If I'd meant "conspiratorially," I would've written "oddly" or "strangely." Not unfair to call me on it, tho.
Today, we learn the latest WaPo/CIA story about the "Russians" hacking the Vermont power grid was yet another piece of "fake news" from Jeff Bezos' rapidly declining propaganda organ. More hires to tell more lies to good Americans is not progress.
https://theintercept.com/2016/12/31/russia-hysteria-infects-washpost-again-false-story-about-hacking-u-s-electric-grid/
Also forgot to mention the "Prop or Not" hysteria promoted by the Post. "Fake News" indeed.