A sudden change of plans

From The Post to purpose: Updates on the high stakes of leaving a news industry in upheaval

Two men walk their dogs through the fog in Roque Bluffs, Maine. (Credit: Kate Woodsome)

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Hi, friends. For this week’s newsletter, I started writing about the anxiety of uncertainty less than 20 days away from the U.S. election. But then I looked at the calendar differently and thought maybe taking a break from armchair analysis could be helpful for me — and perhaps for some of you, too. So instead, I wanted to thank you for being here. It means more than you realize, and I should probably explain why.

A year ago this month, The Washington Post announced it would cut 240 jobs. We were given two months to decide if we would stay or take a buyout. If people didn’t volunteer, bosses would slash and skip the benefits. It was a chaotic, gut-wrenching time as colleagues — friends — wondered if someone else would sacrifice this chapter of their career so that they could keep theirs.

During my tenure, our coverage helped free hostages, debunk conspiracy theories and earn the newsroom the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for covering the January 6 insurrection. But it also demanded that we do more with fewer resources, forcing people to risk their wellbeing and, sometimes, lives to cover unrelenting political, health and climate crises. When I was making my decision, I thought about the PTSD I suffered covering the Capitol attack, and how the violence and its professional aftermath shattered my sense of safety and trust. I could no longer rationalize having panic attacks at an institution where burnout, moral injury and trauma were just part of the job.

I took a deep breath — and I left.

A life beyond

I wasn’t sure how I’d survive on the outside. Newsrooms are institutions, and I’d spent half my life “institutionalized.” But over the past year, I’ve discovered there are new ways to live my values without sacrificing my health. I’m happier than I’ve been in ages.