Stephen Colbert sounded off on the Washington Put up’s sweeping layoffsblasting the paper’s job cuts as billionaire proprietor Jeff Bezos’ “worst choice” ever.
The comic addressed the layoffs on the Washington Put up throughout Wednesday’s monologue for “The Late Present,” the place he joked that the storied publication was “black and white and lifeless throughout.”
“In the present day the WaPo lower a 3rd of its employees. And you realize that is dangerous as a result of
slightly than learn that headline from the Washington Put up, I pulled it from Philadelphia’s ABC 6 Motion Information,” Colbert stated. “No strain, ABC 6 Motion Information. However, from right here on out, it’s simply you and the New York Occasions.”
As Colbert continued, he famous that he couldn’t consider that “we’re dropping a pillar of journalism in the midst of a constitutional disaster,” including that the layoffs “could be the worst choice” Bezos has ever made.
Although, after exhibiting a photograph of Bezos within the cowboy hat he wore earlier than (and after) his Blue Origin area flight, Colbert quipped that the layoffs could’ve been “the second worst choice Jeff Bezos has ever made.”
“Now, reportedly, Bezos’ lackey, govt editor Matt Murray, advised employees members the corporate had misplaced an excessive amount of cash for too lengthy because of declining audiences and sagging subscriptions,” Colbert added. “I might inform you extra of what he stated, but it surely was behind the paywall and daddy don’t play like that.”
Per Colbert, the entire ordeal has been branded “the homicide of the Washington Put up,” including, “Their masthead used to say, ‘Democracy dies in darkness,’ however now it’s simply, ‘Democracy: Die! Die! Die!’” Watch Colbert’s full monologue beneath.
Colbert’s commentary comes the identical day the Washington Put up slashed its newsroom in a “strategic reset.”
As we beforehand reported, the plan to considerably downsize the paper included the scaling again of worldwide protection, ending the sports activities part in its “present kind,” and restructuring the metro desk. The books part was additionally eradicated.
In response to the layoffs, Elizabeth Warren, the Democratic senator from Massachusetts, slammed Bezos for slicing his WaPo employees by practically a 3rd to allegedly “suck up” to President Trump.
Bezos has but to launch an announcement on the job cuts.
“The Late Present With Stephen Colbert” airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET on CBS.
