Laid Off: The Only Disability Reporter in the Newsroom
"Disability is often overlooked by the media and we can't afford to have even less coverage of the horrific ableist policies and actions, especially under this administration."
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In today’s issue, I talk to Shruti Rajkumar, a former HuffPost breaking news and disability reporter laid off earlier this month. They were laid off just a few weeks after returning from disability leave.
Shruti Rajkumar, 25, was on their way to a physical therapy and acupuncture appointment earlier this month when they got an email that they had been laid off.
“I was standing in the rain in front of the Fulton subway station trying to process what I had just read,” they said.
Shruti was an associate breaking news reporter at HuffPost for two and a half years, one of their first jobs right out of college.
HuffPost laid off nearly 30 editorial positions earlier this month, which is a little more than 20% of its newsroom. The company notified staffers in early January, explaining in an email that jobs would be cut due to financial issues. Shruti was nearing the end of their disability leave at the time and hopped into a meeting set up by the union to learn more about what to expect with the layoffs.
Shruti returned from disability leave in mid-January, the day after Donald Trump’s inauguration. They said it was an “extremely busy” week for the breaking news team.
“I dove back into my job and tried to catch up on all the news, only to be laid off a few weeks later,” Shruti said. “I’m honestly still in shock and have been on autopilot the last few weeks trying to find a job. I feel like I’m still stuck in front of that subway station reading that life-changing email.”
What reasoning did they give for laying you off?
Buzzfeed Inc., which owns HuffPost, was having financial struggles, which is why they made job cuts. I believe that this was the reason, but I don't necessarily agree with it. Several reporters on vital beats were let go during a time when we need more reporters, not less. I was on the breaking news team, working irregular late evening shifts with very few people online. On the weekends, there were a few hours where I was the only reporter online. There were only two reporters working the late night shifts — myself, and another one of my colleagues who ended up taking a buyout, leaving HuffPost short-staffed on several teams.
Did you see it coming?
I truly didn't see it coming. After a few conversations with some of my colleagues in the weeks prior to the news, I figured my job would be safe. I worked an irregular shift that was already understaffed, and there were more people working the day shift on the breaking news team. I was also told by colleagues that historically, higher paid people have been impacted the most by layoffs at HuffPost. Since my salary was fairly low compared to my colleagues, I wasn't expecting to be laid off. Of course, none of what my colleagues told me was guaranteed and we all were operating as though we would be laid off, but I chose to lean into the reassurance to ease the anxiety in the weeks leading up to the layoff announcement, so it came as quite a shock when I found out.
Who was the first person you told?
I immediately told my colleagues about the news. The union slack was going off as we shared who received a layoff email. I let them know I had gotten one, and my Slack was instantly filled with loving and kind messages from my colleagues as they tried to hold space and comfort those impacted.
What was the first thing you did after receiving the news?
The first thing I did was reread the email several times to try to process the news. But there wasn't much time to do so because of the appointment I was headed to. I quickly notified the union and then proceeded to go to my appointment. When I got there, I let my team know I had just been laid off and went through my session while fighting back tears.
What did you do about health insurance?
I'm planning to opt into COBRA insurance. I'm really hoping I can find a new job by the time my severance ends since I have been dealing with a lot of mental health struggles the past year and need health insurance.
You were laid off a few weeks after returning from disability leave. Can you expand on that? Did they acknowledge this during your layoff conversations at all?
Last year, I was dealing with an eating disorder, severe depression and suicidal thoughts that made it nearly impossible to work. In late October, I went on disability leave to seek mental health treatment and returned in mid January. It was a weird time for sure — I came back the day after Donald Trump's inauguration, the same week he signed a slate of executive orders. The breaking news team was extremely busy that week, so I dove back into my job and tried to catch up on all the news, only to be laid off a few weeks later.
My disability leave was brought up by one of my colleagues who thought it was odd that they'd lay me off shortly after my return. I talked to the union about it, but it wasn't explicitly brought up in conversations with management. Both myself and members of the union tried to get information from management on what the process was like in deciding who would be laid off, but they weren't allowed to speak on it. I want to emphasize that I don't believe the company laying me off shortly after returning from disability leave was discrimination or retaliation. I have been treated with nothing but respect at HuffPost. But I do think it was odd timing and wish I could hear more about the process behind the layoffs, just for my own peace of mind.
You covered disability-related topics for HuffPost. What stories would you be covering right now if you were still working there? What are the consequences of deprioritizing disability reporting in newsrooms?
I've been thinking about this a lot recently, given the number of stories I'm seeing that aren't being covered by mainstream news outlets. If I were still at HuffPost, I would certainly be covering Texas v. Becerra, a lawsuit filed by 17 states against the U.S. government in an attempt to eliminate Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. This law protects disabled people from discrimination and ensures equal access to education in schools and colleges around the country. Without it, millions of disabled students will suffer because they won't have access to accommodations. It also sets a precedent for future attacks on disability law.
We're living in a time where the rights of several groups, including disabled people, are under attack. Disability is often overlooked by the media and we can't afford to have even less coverage of the horrific ableist policies and actions, especially under this administration. I was the only one covering a disability beat at HuffPost, so they are definitely losing a major focal point in coverage that aligned so well with its mission and values.
You mentioned you are still dealing with the mental health issues that led to your disability leave. How did a layoff coinciding with that affect your mental wellbeing?
The layoff has definitely taken a toll on my mental health. During my leave, I did ketamine therapy which has definitely helped stabilize me, so thankfully I didn't spiral too much when I heard that I would be laid off. But it did exacerbate the depression and my eating disorder. For the past few weeks, I've just been bed rotting and sleeping, all while trying to apply for jobs and freelance opportunities in between. It's been hard doing that while still dealing with mental health struggles. The past year has been rough for me, so the layoff was just the cherry on top.
What resources have been helpful in navigating your mental wellbeing? Did your company provide any support on that front? What do you wish they would provide in terms of mental health resources post-layoff?
The company didn't provide any specific resources to navigate my mental wellbeing. Personally, I think the union was the most helpful in comforting me and holding space for my emotions. The union also ensured that the company give us 30-days notice about layoffs. So even though myself and others were anxious in the weeks leading up, it was so much better in my opinion than waking up to a random email that you've been laid off. I'm not sure what the company could've done differently. I will say that their health insurance was incredible and made it was really easy to navigate my treatment plan prior to the layoff.
What is it like to experience a layoff so early in your career? Is it something early mentors or professors prepared you for?
It's definitely something professors and others in the industry have warned me about, but you can never truly anticipate such a life-changing event. It's very disheartening to experience a layoff so early in my career. It's hard to find a job in journalism period, but it's even harder when people with your identities are underrepresented in newsrooms. HuffPost was also a dream job for me because I gained experience covering several different topics while simultaneously getting to develop my beat.
From what I've seen, disability reporting is not prioritized well enough by newsrooms. If it was, every news outlet would have a disability beat reporter. I've been told by readers of my work that I was a voice for the disability community, so I do feel like I'm letting folks down because of this layoff. It's sad to know I won't be able to continue covering my beat the way that I have in the past — at least, not yet.
How has being an early career journalist influenced finding opportunities in the industry?
It's been a bit difficult. While I gained a lot of experience at HuffPost, I'm still an early career journalist with only three years of experience, which usually isn't enough for the jobs I've been seeing. HuffPost is great when it comes to taking young reporters and fostering a space where they can blossom into seasoned senior reporters, so it definitely feels like my time there was cut too short. But there are some silver linings, especially as an early career journalist. I already have a fantastic network of former colleagues, past HuffPosters and mentors who are eager to help me find my next gig. I'm also young, so I can still apply to fellowships that I qualify for to boost my experience.
Shruti is looking for freelance and full time reporter positions — they have experience in breaking news, general assignment, disability, lifestyle, culture reporting and more. You can reach them on X or LinkedIn.
Thank you for your service to the disabled. I am sorry to hear that you got laid off. I am also over 50+ and worked in tech. Please contact me at amyh@harmalacoaching.com if you would like any hep or advice. Amy Harmala, Harmala Career Coaching.
Love this! Question for Shruti: why don't you start a disability Substack? You could still cover your beat and hold space for all the people who were benefiting from the good work you were doing.