The Bite Back: The newsroom exodus and the rise of transparent bias

How the fall of institutional trust and the rise of direct-to-audience storytelling are redefining what it means to be a journalist.

The legacy news industry has continued on its downward spiral throughout 2025. Major outlets like The Washington Post, CNN, Vox, NBC, HuffPost, and more announced widespread buyouts and layoffs, prompting waves of veteran journalists to exit newsrooms en masse. For many, the choice to leave wasn’t just about shrinking budgets or fewer resources. It was about no longer being able to do the kind of journalism they once promised themselves they would.

At The Washington Post alone, longtime reporters and columnists like Glenn Kessler, Jonathan Capehart, and Sally Jenkins accepted voluntary separation packages (aka buyouts). Their departures signal critical inflection points. Some went on to join other publications like The Atlantic, or to start independent podcasts, newsletters, consulting practices, or media criticism platforms. Others simply stepped away for the near future.

The mass departure of experienced journalists with decades of institutional knowledge signals a broader, industry-wide reckoning with how news is created, consumed, and trusted in the future. Plus, it’s fueling the rise of something else entirely: the storyteller economy.

Read the full blog on the Bite Back Substack.