Washington Post offers merchandise to reporters who took buyouts

Washington Post reporters who took buyouts were insulted to get a sales pitch to buy official company merchandise on their way out the door, according to a report.

The cash-strapped newspaper invited the soon-to-be-former employees to “take a last look at” the newspaper’s official merchandise store so that they can “take advantage of special employee pricing on products” including “alumni gear.”

The cringe-inducing sales pitch was sent in an email to employees who took buyouts.

A copy of the email was obtained by the news outlet Semafor.

A source close to the paper said that the message was included in error and is no longer part of any Washington Post employee departure communication.

Washington Post interim CEO Patty Stonesifer circulated a memo to staff on Tuesday indicating that the newspaper met its headcount reduction goal through voluntary buyouts, according to Axios.

In October, the newspaper announced plans to cut its workforce by 240 jobs through voluntary separation packages.

Earlier this month, around 750 Post employees walked off the job for 24 hours to protest what they called management’s refusal to negotiate in good faith on a new collective bargaining agreement.

Stonesifer told staffers on Tuesday that the newspaper “will enter the new year with a smaller organization but a better financial position.”

“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,” the interim CEO wrote in the memo.

Stonesifer will keep the CEO seat warm for William Lewis, the former chief executive of Wall Street Journal parent company Dow Jones.

Lewis will take the reins of the Jeff Bezos-owned publication on Jan. 2.

He will succeed Fred Ryan, who stepped down in August after a nine-year stint as publisher and CEO.

The Washington Post was on track to lose $100 million by year’s end.

Executives at the paper said at the time of the Lewis announcement that they were offering voluntary buyouts across the company in a bid to reduce employee headcount by about 10% and shrink the size of the newsroom to about 940 journalists.