While Washington Post staffers brace for historic layoffs, Jeff Bezos is too busy living the high life with Anna Wintour in Paris

The Washington Post is in crisis right now. Staff members are so worried about losing their jobs that they’re trying to get Hollywood stars like Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep to help them. They want these celebrities to convince owner Jeff Bezos to stop the planned layoffs.

Workers at the newspaper have been feeling scared and anxious for days. They’re trying to get Bezos to pay attention and cancel the job cuts. Hundreds of employees are expected to be fired soon, especially those working in sports and foreign news departments.

The situation has made everyone feel terrible. People inside the company have been sharing messages about how bad things are. According to Status, one worker said, “I’ve never experienced such a feeling of dread.” The problems started when Bezos and Post publisher Will Lewis decided to cut costs and make more money.

Bezos and new leadership are pushing the paper in a troubling direction

But there’s another issue that’s making workers upset. The paper’s leadership wants to change how they write the news. Many employees don’t like this new direction. Reports say the bosses want the paper to be more friendly toward MAGA and President Trump.

These changes have made the staff feel betrayed. They used to think Bezos cared about good journalism, but now they feel he’s abandoned them. One Post worker said, “To feel abandoned by someone who used to champion you is just wild.”

Workers are desperate to get Bezos’s attention. They’ve been thinking of every possible way to convince him to use his money to save the newspaper. One former manager called the situation “a business failure on a colossal level.”

The most interesting idea involves getting help from Hollywood stars. Staff members realized they could ask Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep for support. This makes sense because both actors played famous Washington Post people in the 2017 movie The Post. 

Hanks played editor Ben Bradlee, and Streep played publisher Katharine Graham. The actor has built an impressive filmography over the years, making him one of Hollywood’s most respected figures. Hanks also made a Super Bowl ad for the newspaper before, so he has a connection to it.

Nobody knows if anyone has actually contacted Hanks or Streep yet. But the staff union is pushing for public pressure. They started a social media campaign called “#SaveThePost” to appeal directly to Bezos about how important their work is. Hanks himself has faced intense and scary moments during filming before, showing he understands challenging situations.

They’re also asking people to tag Lauren Sánchez, Bezos’s wife, who used to be a journalist. The union told workers, “If you’re comfortable, please tag Jeff Bezos, Lauren Sanchez, sources with large followings; anyone who might be able to amplify our message and make sure it reaches those who need to hear it.” 

Employees are angry that Bezos seems more interested in traveling with Sánchez and making political friends than supporting the newspaper. One worker shared a message that shows how upset everyone is: “I was just thinking the other day that I wished MacKenzie [Scott, Bezos’s ex-wife] had gotten us in the divorce.”