Where you can follow the Washington Post journalists who took buyouts
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Many of the Washington Post journalists who took buyouts from the paper late last year are on to new adventures.
Why it matters: The former Posties — many beloved, local fixtures — played critical roles in our hometown newspaper during a tumultuous time, as a wave of layoffs and other struggles plague the industry.
Context: Last October, the Post announced it would cut 240 jobs by offering employees voluntary separation packages, a decision that roiled the company. This came amid reports that the paper was on track to lose $100 million last year.
- The Post met its reduction threshold at the end of last year, cutting about 10% of its staff and gutting many departments.
- New publisher Will Lewis in an interview last year with the paper vowed to "expand" and get the Post's "swagger back."
Here are a few journalists who took buyouts — and where they are now.
- We'll update the list as we hear back from more people — email Axios D.C. if you'd like your update included.
✏️ Moriah Balingit: Post education reporter
- Now: Reporter covering childcare and early education for AP, she tells Axios.
✏️ Gillian Brockell: Post staff writer for Retropolis
- Now: Writing a book similar to her Retropolis reporting and a Substack, she tells Axios.
✏️ Paul Farhi: Post media reporter
- Traveling with his wife, hanging with the grandkids, and freelancing (most recently for The Atlantic), he tells Axios.
✏️ Marc Fisher: Post senior editor
- Now: Working on book and magazine projects, he tells Axios.
✏️ John Kelly: Post local columnist
- Now: A break from work! And recording a third album with his band, The Airport 77s, and taking tap-dancing lessons with his wife, he tells Axios.
✏️ Kathy Orton: Post real estate reporter
- Now: Home and Features editor at Washingtonian, she tells Axios.
✏️ Lee Powell: Post senior video reporter
- Now: Senior writer and producer at Bell Flight, he tells Axios.
✏️ Greg Sargent: Post opinion columnist covering national politics
- Now: Staff writer at the New Republic, per X.
✏️ Liz Sly: Post correspondent-at-large
- Now: Focusing on writing — both long-form and fiction, she tells Axios.
✏️ Jordan-Marie Smith: Post Reports producer
- Now: Producer at NPR's "All Things Considered," she tells Axios.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with new additions.