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.