The Washington Post launched a sweeping round of layoffs Friday in its Opinion section, cutting veteran journalists and longtime staffers.

The Washington Post ignited a firestorm inside its own newsroom after reportedly axing more than a dozen editorial staffers, according to multiple reports. NBC News reporter Mark Segraves said that Marc Fisher — a 39-year veteran of the paper and one of its most recognized voices — was among those terminated.

“The @washingtonpost has fired writer & editor @mffisher along with 15 other columnists & editors. Marc Fisher spent 39 years at WaPo and is one of the greatest voices and reporters our city has. Democracy Dies In Darkness and the Washington Post is turning out the lights,” Segraves wrote.

New York Times media reporter Ben Mullin posted a confirmation that Adam O’Neal, the Post’s new Opinion Editor, ordered the dismissals as part of a planned overhaul. Mullin reported that six employees were formally laid off, while several contractors also lost their jobs. He shared an internal email that outlined O’Neal’s decision to restructure the section.

“Scoop: Adam O’Neal, the new Opinion Editor at The Washington Post, is laying off staffers as part of a plan to shake up the section. A source says six employees are affected. I’ve also been told some contractors are being terminated,” Mullin posted.

Retired Washington Post editor, correspondent and columnist Robert McCartney added more details, warning that the Opinion section will now operate without copy editors.

“WashPost Opinions Editor Adam O’Neal has laid off all the copy editors in the Opinions section. This is likely to lead to increase in typos and errors of both grammar and fact. Copy editors in News sections are not affected (yet), but their numbers have been reduced previously,” McCartney said.

“Other changes in Post Opinions makeover: The Saturday feature ‘Free for All,’ a full page of readers’ letters slamming (or praising) the paper, has been killed. And columnist Marc Fisher was let go—meaning there’s no columnist in Opinion section following local news.”

The Washington Post did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

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