Mass layoffs: This Indian-origin newspaper editor saved staff from job cuts by stepping down himself

The global tech sector looks gloomy under the shadow of mass layoffs which saw firms simply cutting off two lakh employees, with some CEOs taking responsibility and others justifying them as cost cutting measures. Job cuts also spilled over into media, fashion and other sectors, with 18,000 employees in Indian startups being reduced to just additional cost which had to be slashed. Amidst these dark times, an Indian-American Pulitzer-winning editor Peter Bhatia has set an example by stepping down from his position at Detroit Free Press, to save his staff members from layoffs.

The 69-year-old editor and vice president made the announcement at a staff meeting as the firm reported losses in consecutive quarters. The newspaper currently employs a total of 110 people and Bhatia hopes to save more of them from unemployment by removing the burden of his salary from the budget.

Bhatia from Lucknow has been with the Free Press since 2017, and his replacement hasn't been found yet. Those who worked with Bhatia praised him on Twitter as someone who stood for quality journalism and described his exit as a big loss.

The seven-time Pulitzer juror has led newsrooms with 10 Pulitzer Prizes among them and became the first journalist of South Asian descent to lead a major daily newspaper in the US, with The Oregonian in 2010.