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A slew of Washington Post opinion columnists and journalists are taking buyouts, as the company weighs changes to the section under new management. 

Why it matters: Opinion staffers told Axios the lucrative buyouts appear designed, in part, to help the Post cut down on the number of columnists it employs full time in favor of more audio and video talent.

CEO Will Lewis earlier this month encouraged staffers "who do not feel aligned with the company's plan" to reflect on the buyout offer.

State of play: Journalists have until July 31 to accept the voluntary separation offer at the Post, sources told Axios.

David Von Drehle, a longtime Post columnist, confirmed to Axios that he is taking the buyout.

"When I was a kid, I dreamed of working at the Washington Post, and I got to do it for almost 25 years," he said. "I'm incredibly grateful to the institution and the people who let me have my dream come true."

Molly Roberts, who resigned from the editorial board following an endorsement controversy last year, has also accepted a buyout, Axios has confirmed.

Jonathan Capehart, the Pulitzer Prize-winning opinion columnist, has taken a buyout after 18 years with the paper, Axios reported Monday. He will continue to co-host MSNBC's "The Weekend" and serve as a political analyst for "PBS Newshour."

Drew Goins, a newsletter writer and editor for the opinion section, is planning to depart, Axios has confirmed.

Philip Bump, a longtime Post columnist, said on Bluesky last week that he accepted a buyout.

Monica Hesse, a columnist who often writes about gender and society, hasn't yet signed buyout papers but doesn't plan to remain in the opinions section, a source told Axios.

Some opinion staffers are also considering shifts into the Post's main newsroom, sources told Axios.

The Post did not comment when asked about the buyout offers.

Between the lines: The buyouts come amid a broader transformation at the Post that has impacted all aspects of the newsroom, especially the opinion section.

Last year, several editorial board members resigned after owner Jeff Bezos blocked the endorsement of Vice President Harris days before the 2024 election.

In February, the Post's opinion editor David Shipley resigned after Bezos mandated the section prioritize two topics, personal liberties and free markets, and not publish dissenting views in those areas.

In January, the Post's longtime Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Ann Telnaes quit after claiming one of her cartoons was killed because it targeted Bezos. Shipley, then the editor, said he pulled the cartoon because it was redundant.

Zoom out: The Post last month named Adam O'Neal, a Washington correspondent at The Economist and former executive editor of The Dispatch, as its new opinion editor, replacing Shipley.

Management is also reportedly looking to expand its editorial coverage to voices outside of the Post to appeal to a broader scope of readers, per the New York Times.

Washington Post opinion staff take lucrative buyouts amid newsroom transformation

The Post is overhauling its newsroom, which has especially impacted the opinion section.

Exterior of The Washington Post building at dusk, with lights on inside some windows and tree branches framing the top against a clear blue sky.

Photo: Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post via Getty Images

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A slew of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Washington Post" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/03/10/washington-post-to-overhaul-newsroom-structure" data-vars-content-id="27c53f9e-d81a-43be-ab66-e22369b03cc4" data-vars-headline="Washington Post opinion staff take lucrative buyouts amid newsroom transformation" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/03/10/washington-post-to-overhaul-newsroom-structure" target="_self">Washington Post</a> opinion columnists and journalists are taking buyouts, as the company weighs changes to the section under new management. Why it matters: Opinion staffers told Axios the lucrative buyouts appear designed, in part, to help the Post cut down on the number of columnists it employs full time in favor of more audio and video talent.

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Washington Post opinion staff take lucrative buyouts amid newsroom transformation

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