US Edition2 Washington Post writers at the Olympics despite being laid off, say it was important to be there
Despite laying off a third of its sports staff, The Washington Post sent four journalists to cover the 2026 Winter Olympics, treating it as a final assignment to honor readers' trust.
- Four Washington Post journalists traveled to the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics despite layoffs, with Barry Svrluga filing his final column from the Games.
- Two days before the Olympics opened last week, the Washington Post announced it would eliminate its sports section and lay off a third of its staff, which Matt Murray called `painful but necessary`.
- Veteran reporters cover figure skating, speedskating and hockey while Svrluga, at his 12th Olympics, reports despite newsroom cuts and revealed a pre-Games interview about Shiffrin's mother’s cancer.
- The cuts remove decades of well-known bylines and will shrink the Post's sports coverage, eliminating long-running names and delivering a sharp blow for readers, while veteran reporters pledged to continue strong coverage.
- Industry shifts mean fewer U.S. reporters attend events and 'people get their news in different ways now,' while sources reached out to Svrluga who said he'll try to enjoy the Olympics despite layoffs.
28 Articles
28 Articles
Washington Post columnist Barry Svrluga reported from his first Winter Olympics when Lindsey Vonn left his hospital bed after an accident and returned to compete days later at the Turin Games 2006. He returned to Italy two decades later, at the Milan Cortina Games, and was there again to write about it when Vonn finished again at the hospital after another accident. Although he is losing his job... The Post announced two days before the opening …
Washington Post writers still covering Olympics despite being laid off: 'They can’t take away our spirit'
It’s been said that if you truly love doing something, you’d do it for free. Washington Post writers Barry Svrluga and Les Carpenter are putting that into practice as they continue to cover the 2026 Milan Cortina Games despite being part of the paper’s mass layoffs that have effectively killed its historic sports section. They’ve joined Rick Maese and Robert Samuels, who are still with the newspaper and are also covering the Olympics. According…
Washington Post columnist Barry Svrluga reported from his first Winter Olympics when Lindsey Vonn left his hospital bed after a fall and returned to compete days later at the 2006 Turin Games.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 44% of the sources are Center
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