Lazy-ass 21st-century hed aside, the main takeaway I got was that no one at the Post had heard about what happens after buyouts – somewhat confusing, given this wasn’t their first rodeo.

A paper is only viewed as well as its institutional knowledge can support. By getting rid of all your tentpole writers, several high-level editors and – of course – perennial favourite for buyouts and layoffs, the copy desk, you aren’t running a prestige newsroom anymore.

It becomes the college paper 2.0. People with no experience being overseen by people for whom serious news is of little concern doesn’t grow your reader base.

There are so many fucking case studies on this, going back decades at this point, that feigning ignorance really isn’t a good look.

Thinking “it can’t happen here” isn’t just an insular Post problem.