Washington Post writers cover Milan-Cortina Olympics despite layoffs

Two Washington Post writers are covering the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics after the paper announced it was eliminating its sports section and laying off about a third of its staff.

Two Washington Post writers are reporting from the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics while the paper is cutting its sports staff. The Post announced two days before the Games that it was eliminating its sports section and laying off about a third of its staff. With travel already arranged, four Post journalists still attended these Games and several are completing assignments while affected by the layoffs. The situation has drawn attention to changes in how news organizations cover major events. Key facts: - The Post announced it would eliminate its sports section and lay off about one-third of its staff two days before the Olympics opened. - The newspaper had originally planned to send 14 staff members to the Games. Four journalists attended: Barry Svrluga in Cortina, Rick Maese in Bormio, and Les Carpenter and Robert Samuels in Milan. - Barry Svrluga and Les Carpenter are among those being laid off and are working these Games as their final assignment for the paper. - Svrluga is a long-time Olympics reporter and has covered multiple Games; he also reported that skier Mikaela Shiffrin’s mother had been diagnosed with cancer and was undergoing treatment. - The Post’s executive editor, Matt Murray, described the layoffs as painful but necessary. Summary: The staffing changes reduce the paper’s sports presence at a major international event and have left veteran reporters finishing assignments while facing job cuts. Svrluga plans to file a final column from these Games as his last story for the Post. Undetermined at this time.