Washington Post journalists who cover China had their email hacked

Several journalists at The Washington Post who cover China had their email accounts compromised in a suspected cyberattack that may have been carried out by a foreign government, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The breach, which affected Microsoft email accounts, potentially gave the intruders access to the contents of reporters’ work emails, including messages sent and received, the Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

Those targeted include members of the Post’s national security and economic policy teams who cover China.

In a memo sent to staff on Sunday, Washington Post Executive Editor Matt Murray warned of a “possible targeted unauthorized intrusion into our email system” and said the company believes “a limited number of journalists’ accounts were affected.”

According to the memo, the breach was discovered Thursday evening, and an investigation is now underway.

Murray, who previously handled a similar security breach while serving as editor in chief of the Journal, also stated that “we do not believe this unauthorized intrusion impacted any additional Post systems or has had any impact for our customers.”

The employees affected by the cyberattack were notified in recent days and told not to discuss the matter publicly, according to the Journal.

Law enforcement officials and cybersecurity experts told the Journal that journalists are common targets for nation-state hackers, who aim to collect sensitive information through their communications with sources.

These operations often involve sophisticated surveillance tools and are sometimes linked to intelligence-gathering efforts by foreign governments.

In 2022, the Journal reported that hackers had breached the systems of its parent company, News Corp, dating back to at least early 2020.

That attack, which also targeted journalists, allowed unauthorized access to emails, documents, and article drafts.

A cybersecurity consultant for News Corp concluded that the breach was “likely meant to gather intelligence to benefit China’s interests,” and noted that the attackers appeared focused on issues like Taiwan and China’s Uyghur ethnic group.

News Corp is the parent company of The New York Post.

In contrast, the Washington Post hack appears to be more limited in scope, according to people familiar with the current investigation.

The intruders are believed to have accessed only email accounts.

Reporters at the paper said they typically avoid placing sensitive material in emails, instead relying on internal tools like Slack and secure messaging platforms such as Signal to communicate with colleagues and sources.

In response to the breach, the Washington Post has implemented additional cybersecurity measures, including forcing a company-wide reset of login credentials.

Microsoft, whose software was targeted in the intrusion, declined to comment when contacted by the Journal.

As the investigation continues, it remains unclear who was behind the attack or what information may have been accessed.

However, the incident underscores the ongoing vulnerability of media organizations to cyber threats, particularly those involving geopolitical reporting.

The New York Post has sought comment from Microsoft and the Washington Post.

The Washington Post has been embroiled in ongoing turmoil since late 2022, when it began facing steep declines in web traffic, digital subscriptions and ad revenue.

These challenges triggered internal cost-cutting measures, including the shutdown of popular sections and cast doubt on the company’s digital strategy.

In 2023, publisher Fred Ryan came under fire and was ultimately replaced by Will Lewis as leadership sought to steady the ship.

Tensions escalated in fall 2024 after billionaire owner Jeff Bezos had intervened to spike a planned editorial endorsement of Kamala Harris, prompting backlash from subscribers and the resignation of key editorial voices.

The unrest continued into January 2025, when Pulitzer Prize–winning cartoonist Ann Telnaes resigned in protest after a satirical cartoon targeting major tech executives, including Bezos, was rejected.

By spring 2025, the paper was hit by a wave of high-profile departures, including managing editor Matea Gold and prominent reporters Josh Dawsey, Ashley Parker, Philip Rucker and Michael Scherer.