The Washington Post announced its removal of the publication’s digital sports department as part of its downsizing efforts, Feb. 4. As a result, the Washington Post laid off one-third of their staff across all departments, leaving about 300 people unemployed. 

Jeff Stein, the Post’s chief economics correspondent, was not among the many who were laid off but said it was a “tragic” moment for the country.

“I’m grieving for reporters I love and whose work upheld the truest and most noble callings of the profession,” Stein said in an interview with The New York Times. “They are being punished for mistakes they did not cause.”

 In a video conference with other employees, the Post’s Executive Editor Matt Murray recognized the closure of the sports section. He said some sports reporters will be reassigned to other sections, and the Post will maintain their sports section in print.

Junior Sam Greenberg, who plays on Whitman Boys’ varsity basketball, said the Post recently awarded them as one of the top teams across the D.C., Maryland and Virginia area.

“Seeing the sports section come to a close is devastating,” Greenberg said. “The basketball team wanted to see how we’d be reported on by the Post throughout the season.”

The Post covered high school sports across the D.C. area for more than 100 years and selected All-Met and Top 20 awards. The Post named 11 fall athletes and seven winter athletes at Whitman All-Met in the 2024-25 season, including Senior Wrestler Solomon Randall and Indoor Track alumna Katie Greenwald. 

Junior Grady Miller, who also plays on Whitman Boys’ Varsity Basketball, said he is sad to hear that the sports section is leaving, as some of the best players in the NBA, such as Kevin Durant, have been named to the All-Met teams.

“It’s disappointing to see the sports section going away, particularly the All-Met Section,” Miller said. “Guys from Whitman, like Thomas Farrell and Titian DeRosa, have been recognized by the Washington Post and have had the opportunity to leave behind that legacy.”