The One Franklin Square Building, home of The Washington Post, in downtown Washington, Friday, Feb. 8, 2019.

Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP Photo

The Washington Post will stop publishing its Sunday print magazine after more than three decades. The last issue will be out on Dec. 25.

The newspaper has eliminated the positions of the magazine’s 10 staff members, according to the Post. There’s no guarantee the staffers will be offered other positions at the paper, though the Post reports that restaurant reviews and the crossword puzzle will continue to appear in print.

Executive editor Sally Buzbee made the announcement in an email Wednesday afternoon, describing the closure as part of the Post’s “global and digital transformation.”

“We will be shifting some of the most popular content, and adding more, in a revitalized Style section that will launch in the coming months,” Buzbee wrote. “We remain committed to longform journalism across newsroom departments and platforms … We deeply appreciate the contributions this staff has made to our print readers over the years.”

Buzbee also said the decision was prompted, in part, by “economic headwinds,” according to reporting from the Post. The business troubles aren’t exactly a surprise: earlier this year, the New York Times reported that the Post was struggling to bring in subscribers and generate digital ad revenue. The newspaper was on track to lose money this year, per the Times, after being profitable for years. The Post was not the only publication to see a decline in readership post-Donald Trump’s presidency, but two of its major competitors — the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal — have managed to reel in more subscribers, per the Times.

However, the Washington Post Guild said there is “no economic justification for layoffs” in a year when the Post hired a record number of new employees. The Post has been on a hiring blitz this year — there are currently 45 open full-time jobs in the newsroom.

“The Post Guild is outraged at the company’s decision to lay off our colleagues at the Washington Post Magazine. These talented, hard-working journalists have given years of their careers to this organization — crafting powerful stories, winning national awards and providing readers with a weekly dose of insight, creativity and joy,” the Post Guild said in a statement to DCist/WAMU. “It’s unconscionable that The Post would not retain these dedicated employees so they can continue to serve readers through other jobs at the company.”

The Post Guild added that it would do “everything we can to protect our colleagues’ jobs, provide solidarity and support and ensure all workers’ rights are respected.”

The Post first began publishing the current version of the Sunday magazine in 1986, and distributes it with the Sunday paper. The magazine’s closure follows the 2019 shut down of the Washington Post Express, the newspaper’s free daily commuter paper. At the time, the Post cited greater demand for digital content as a contributing factor to the Express’ closure.

This story has been updated with a statement from The Washington Post Guild and more information about the Washington Post’s financial outlook. 

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