Here's the Guardian story; I'm sure many people have read it or others.
First, yes, DC is still a one-industry town, but pivoting to politics when Politico is already there, let alone the likes of Punchbowl for deep insiders? How will you make that work?
Second, how will you make pivoting to politics work while slicing foreign affairs? Trump's tariffs, Greenland noises, Russia-Ukraine, etc., all have domestic political angles. And, within the politics world, probably not so covered by Politico.
Per Semafor, exec editor Matt Murray says politics will remain the biggest beat, even with foreign desk cuts.
Folkenflik at NPR notes that two people were axed in Ukraine and the ENTIRE Middle East desk closed.
Instead of what it's actually done, Bezos had two options.
One was to "lean in" (I actually hate that phrase) to the foreign affairs angle, but expanding your voices. Maybe you don't become a Quincy Institute, but you take at least a baby step or two beyond the Nat-Sec Nutsacks™ world. Given Bezos himself being some sort of "libertarian," I don't know why he didn't think of that, to the degree he still wants the paper to be his playtoy as well as a money-maker.
The other option would have been to pivot out of national politics altogether, other than how they affect DC politics. Run the Post like the Baltimore Sun, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, etc. But, with its metro desk cut from 40 to 12, per Folkenflik, that's not an option, eiter.
Either would have been a better option, IMO, than the above. Of course, when Will Lewis was hired, I think many media insiders expected an eventual cock-up. And, other than a "Chainsaw Al" angle, it's clear there was little to no forethought in doing a smart pivot, especially if they claim they can still compete with a Politico.
Not thinking of either option shows that bazillionaires from other industries who parachute into the media world usually don't know shit and don't try to learn.
That said, listening to the crying and hand-wringing blather of duopolists like Marty Baron is funny.
