Bailey Johnson is back covering the Capitals.
Johnson announced on social media Tuesday that she has returned to the Washington Post to cover Washington’s push through the final stretch of the NHL season, which is a development that felt unthinkable two months ago. The Post eliminated its entire sports department in February, ending a relationship with the Capitals that the paper had maintained since the franchise’s inaugural season in 1974.
“Didn’t see this coming, but I’m back at the Post to cover the final stretch of the Caps’ season,” Johnson wrote. “It’s been a really weird couple of months, but I’m grateful to have the work and be back doing what I love for the time being.”
When Johnson was initially laid off in February, Capitals coach Spencer Carbery opened his next press conference by acknowledging her absence.
“I would be remiss not to say something about Bailey not being here today,” Carbery said at the time. “Wherever her next stop is, know she’ll do a fantastic job. She’s an incredible person and really, really good at what she does.”
The Post has been quietly piecing together some form of sports coverage since the February layoffs drew widespread backlash and tens of thousands of subscription cancellations. The cuts had drawn condemnation from just about the entire media industry, with owner Jeff Bezos facing particular criticism for claiming he wanted the publication to continue growing amid the layoffs.
Less than two months after gutting the sports section, the paper brought back a Nationals beat, hiring Danielle Allentuck away from the Baltimore Banner — which had made moves to hire D.C.-area sports journalists in the aftermath of the WaPo cuts — to cover Washington’s baseball team for the season.
Johnson’s return fills the Capitals’ hole the Post created when it let her go, at least through the end of the season. She was careful to describe it as “for the time being,” which leaves open the question of what happens when the Capitals’ run ends.
The Post had reportedly been in contact with several former staffers about returning, though many of the star columnists and reporters it let go have already landed at ESPN and The Athletic.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.