The Washington Post has decided to cease publication of its Express commuter paper that has been handed out for free at Metro stations for 16 years. The last edition will be Thursday.
In a blog post, the news outlet said with the growth of Wi-Fi access on Metrorail, the Post “can now serve those readers in ways that couldn’t have been imagined” when it first launched.
“More readers are consuming The Post’s content digitally, and The Post will continue to serve those who commute via Metro with digital products, including its mobile site, apps, newsletters and podcasts,” according to the PR blog.
Express readers will be offered a free, 60-day trial for digital access to The Washington Post online, it said.
Express, which is distributed weekdays only, has a circulation of more than 144,000 and readership of close to 240,000, according to the Post’s 2018 Ad Book, citing Nielsen data.
A staff of 20 journalists will be laid off, according to Post media reporter Paul Farhi. It’s unclear how many of the Metro station hawkers will be affected.
