The Washington Post is cutting 20 of its 1,000 journalists and leaving 30 open positions unfilled, the Post's executive editor Sally Buzbee told staff in a note Tuesday, according to Axios. The firings come one week after the publication's owner Jeff Bezos visited.

"While such changes are not easy, evolution is necessary for us to stay competitive, and the economic climate has guided our decision to act now," Buzbee wrote in her note, according to the Daily Mail. "We believe these steps will ultimately help us to fulfill our mission to scrutinize power and empower readers."

As part of her missive, Buzbee outlined that among the fired journalists, they are welcome to apply for open positions.

In December, CEO Fred Ryan announced the company would follow through on a string of layoffs. But the announcement provoked tension among the Post's staff, spurring at least 60 employees to unionize.

"While the number of people affected is reportedly far smaller than what Publisher Fred Ryan initially alluded to in his layoff announcement at last month's town hall, we believe any job eliminations right now are unacceptable," the union wrote. "The number should be zero."

Among the other cuts, according to Axios, the Post is dropping Launcher, its video game section, and KidsPost, a section dedicated to kids in grades second through 7th.

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