Washington Post reverses course, plans to send four reporters to Olympics

As reports about impending layoffs at the paper continue to trickle out, it seems that the Washington Post is at least making good on one front.

After reports surfaced last week that the storied newspaper did not plan to send any reporters to the upcoming Olympics in Italy, even after the publication had already paid upwards of $80,000 to house its staff, the Washington Post is apparently “reversing course.” According to scoops by The Guardian‘s Jeremy Barr and Semafor’s Max Tani, the Post now intends to send four reporters to the Olympic Games.

Update: I’ve heard that the Post is now sending a few people to cover the Olympics… https://t.co/G5xR8GbWzl

— Jeremy Barr (@jeremymbarr) January 26, 2026

The Post is reversing course and is now planning to send 4 reporters, I’m told https://t.co/kOPHmShP3Z

— Max Tani (@maxwelltani) January 26, 2026

The move comes after widespread criticism of the Post‘s decision, especially after a terse internal email from managing editor Kimi Yoshino was published by the New York Times.

“As we assess our priorities for 2026, we have decided not to send a contingent to the Winter Olympics. We realize this decision and its timing will be disappointing to many of you, so please reach out to me if you want to talk further,” the email to staffers read in full.

While the paper has relented on its hardline stance of not sending any reporters to Italy, the publication is still not committing to the same coverage it had originally planned. The Post had reportedly secured 14 credentials for the upcoming Olympics, meaning 10 journalists that were supposed to cover the games from Italy will no longer be on-site.

The Post has also been setting the stage for cutbacks outside of sports. The newspaper has reportedly informed journalists in conflict zones to avoid going into high-risk areas for coverage, a sign that some observers say suggests the outlet intends to slash parts of its foreign reporting.

Meanwhile, Puck’s Dylan Byers reports that the Posts entire sports desk could be on the chopping block.

The Post has been in a state of turmoil ever since owner Jeff Bezos appointed Will Lewis as the paper’s new publisher and CEO in 2024. The paper lost hundreds of thousands of subscribers after pulling its endorsement of Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris prior to publication in the most recent election. Subsequently, numerous reporters accepted buyout offers from the company. The sports desk alone has lost writers like Sally Jenkins, Dan Steinberg, and Steven Goff within the last year.

Sending four reporters to Italy won’t do much to soften the blow of what appears to be widespread layoffs at the paper. But at least Washington Post subscribers will get some level of on-site coverage during the upcoming Olympics.