In a post on Facebook earlier this year, the Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post reporter Robert Samuels shared a message with friends about his excitement around covering the Winter Olympics. The change of plans was the first overt sign, Post staffers believe, of major newsroom cuts slated to be implemented in the coming weeks. The paper had already sunk tens of thousands into travel costs for writers, The New York Times subsequently reported on Saturday. (Major League Baseball Spring Training, which Post reporters historically have also attended, is later in February.) One person familiar with the planned cuts, however, cautioned Semafor against taking the public reporting over the weekend at face value, noting it has been largely based on newsroom rumors, not confirmed facts.
