The bad news: The Post will enter the new year with fewer employees — perhaps a couple of hundred. Email not displaying correctly?
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** OPINION
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** Washington Post reaches buyout goals to, for now, avert layoffs
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(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)

Good morning. Be sure to check out Thursday’s Poynter Report, which will be our annual “Year in Media” issue including our selection for Media Personality of the Year. That will be our final newsletter of 2023.

But today we carry on with media news, tidbits and links for your viewing.

We start with news from The Washington Post. It’s sort of good news, bad news.

The good news is that the Post has been able to meet its goal of trimming staff through buyouts instead of layoffs. The bad news is the Post will enter the new year with fewer employees — perhaps a couple of hundred.

Back in October, the Post announced ([link removed]) that it was offering buyouts with the hopes of reducing staff by 240. (At the time, the Post had approximately 2,500 employees.)

Then late last month, Post interim CEO Patty Stonesifer told staff only half of the desired number of staffers — about 120 or so — had accepted the buyouts and that there would be layoffs if not enough employees took the buyouts. At the same time, The Daily Beast’s Corbin Bolies reported ([link removed]) that Post executive editor Sally Buzbee told staff in an email that about 36 of the 120 who accepted the buyouts were from the newsroom. She said that was “about 30 percent of our goal across the News department.”

Then came Tuesday’s news that the Post had enough buyouts to avoid layoffs — for now (my words, not the Post’s). The exact number of buyouts isn’t known publicly.

In an email to staff, Stonesifer said the company “will enter the new year with a smaller organization but a better financial position.” Stonesifer also wrote, “I am very aware of how difficult this process has been for everyone involved and I want to thank you for the grace and respect you have shown at every step.”

In July, The New York Times Benjamin Mullin and Katie Robertson reported ([link removed]) the Post was on track to lose about $100 million this year.

And now for the rest of today’s media news, tidbits and links …
* From CNN’s outstanding chief international investigative correspondent Nima Elbagir: “Eyewitness testimony and footage reveals escalation in Israel's occupation tactics in West Bank.” ([link removed])
* Vanity Fair’s Charlotte Klein with “Inside The New York Times’ big bet on games.” ([link removed])
* It has been a difficult year, one that The New York Times accurately describes as “A Weary World.” That’s the heading of its very powerful “Year in Photos,” ([link removed]) which includes many haunting photos — particularly from wars being fought in Ukraine, Israel and Gaza.
* The Washington Post’s Amy Joyce is leaving the Post after 28 years. She spent the past decade as a writer and editor of the “On Parenting” feature. In her farewell piece, Joyce writes, “The 5 absolute truths I’ve learned in 10 years as a parenting editor.” ([link removed])
* From The Athletic: “The best of 2023: Top sports stories for MLB, NFL, NHL, NBA, and more.” ([link removed]) (The stories should be unlocked for those without a subscription.)
* GQ Sports’ Matthew Roberson with an excellent profile of the ESPN football analyst in “Dan Orlovsky, the Weirdo King of ESPN, Is Now the Lovable Face of Football Media.” ([link removed])
* Speaking of ESPN, big news out of Bristol, Connecticut: Josh Krulewitz has been named to the network’s top communications position as ESPN senior vice president for communications. He takes over for Chris LaPlaca, who is retiring after more than 43 years at ESPN and 15 years as the head of ESPN’s communications. Krulewitz has been with ESPN for 32 years. ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said, “Josh is a dynamic, collaborative, and strategic communications leader. I’ve worked closely with Josh for many years and have benefitted from his excellent advice during many challenging situations. I have seen him cultivate countless relationships with media and ESPN colleagues over the years, all of which will benefit him and all of us as we continue to navigate through a complex sports media environment.” On a personal note, I’ve known and had work dealings with Krulewitz for more than 20 years and he’s one of the most respected people in the business. He’s cooperative, which is good for the media,
but he’s also fiercely loyal and protective of his employer, which is good for ESPN.
* The continuation of outstanding work from CBS News, including correspondent Jim Axelrod: “LGBTQ military veterans finally seeing the benefits from an honorable discharge.” ([link removed]) This seems like a conclusion to reporting that began back in February from CBS News: “Military veterans kicked out for being gay still fighting for honorable discharges.” ([link removed])
* For Vanity Fair, Hillary Busis, Katey Rich, David Canfield, Chris Murphy, Rebecca Ford, Savannah Walsh, Mike Hogan, Laura Regensdorf and Anthony Breznican with “The 22 Best Feel-Bad Movies to Destroy Your Mood. ([link removed])
* From The Baltimore Banner, Jasmine Vaughn-Hall with “Baltimore’s long-shot push for America’s first Black saint.” ([link removed])
* A fun piece from the staff of The Ringer: “The 84 Sentences That Explain 2023.” ([link removed])
* Deadline’s Katie Campione with “‘Dateline’ Finishes Year As Top Newsmagazine Program, NBC Touts More Than 160B Minutes Viewed.” ([link removed])
* As I wrote earlier this week ([link removed]) , HBO’s “Real Sports” is coming to an end after 29 years. Washington Post sports media columnist Ben Strauss talks to “Real Sports” host Bryant Gumbel ([link removed]) , who tells Strauss, “I think the show is going to be remembered as a show that tried to do sports journalism the right way and tried to treat fans, athletes and sports with a degree of respect.”
* This was originally published a year ago, but the Los Angeles Times’ De Los brought it back for the season: Suzy Exposito and Gustavo Arellano with “The 24 best Christmas songs en Español.” ([link removed])


** One more thing
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Finally, a personal note. The Poynter Institute is a nonprofit organization, and we are funded by donations, grants and income from journalist training — the last of which is affected by the budget difficulties facing many news organizations. If you like this newsletter, and the stories about the media industry and insights from industry experts you find on Poynter, your donation ([link removed]) will help us continue to do that work for our readers. As you plan your year-end giving, know that even small donations make a big difference. Thanks for your support ([link removed]) .


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