Who is Ishaan Tharoor? Shashi Tharoor’s son among journalists laid off by The Washington Post

News about job cuts in global media houses has been making headlines, and one such development has brought renewed attention to an Indian-origin journalist working overseas. Ishaan Tharoor, son of Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, came into focus after he was laid off from The Washington Post as part of a major restructuring exercise.

As part of the changes, the newspaper cut a significant portion of its international coverage team. Ishaan shared a brief post on social media, describing it as a tough day, along with a photograph of an empty newsroom. The post drew attention online, prompting many to look at his background and body of work.





The young journalist shared the news of his exit via a social media post, which read, "I have been laid off today from the Washington Post, along with most of the International staff and so many other wonderful colleagues. I’m heartbroken for our newsroom and especially for the peerless journalists who served the Post internationally - editors and correspondents who have been my friends and collaborators for almost 12 years. It’s been an honour to work with them."

Ishaan Tharoor at a glance

Ishaan Tharoor is a US-based journalist who has reported extensively on international affairs and global politics. He was born in 1984 in Singapore.

He has a twin brother, Kanishk Tharoor, who is also a writer. While his surname is well known in India, Ishaan has spent most of his professional career outside the country.

Education and early career

According to his LinkedIn profile, Ishaan completed his undergraduate studies at Yale University in 2006, where he studied history. During his time at Yale, he was awarded the Sudler Fellowship.

According to his profile, he began his journalism career at Time magazine in 2006 and worked there for several years. He later became a senior editor and was involved in coverage related to the New York City region. He left the publication in 2014.

Work at The Washington Post

After leaving Time, Ishaan Tharoor moved to The Washington Post in Washington, DC, where he worked on international politics and global affairs.

In 2017, he started the WorldView column, which focused on making sense of major global events and developments, as mentioned in a Hindustan Times report.

Role in academics

According to his LinkedIn profile, Ishaan Tharoor also spent some time teaching. Between 2018 and 2020, he worked as an adjunct instructor at Georgetown University, where he taught a course called Global Affairs in the Digital Age at the School of Foreign Service.

In one of the biggest shake-ups in its nearly 150-year history, The Washington Post has cut back its workforce sharply, with around a third of employees losing their jobs, a decision that’s left many in the media world rattled.



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