A recent exodus of talent from The Washington Post has prompted more than 400 of its staffers to send an unusual letter to the Post’s owner, Jeff Bezos, expressing alarm over the newspaper’s direction and asking him to intervene.

The Washington Post is laying off around 4% of its workforce, the company announced on Tuesday — the latest blow to the newspaper that has seen steep financial losses as well as an exodus of top talent from a newsroom that has grown increasingly alienated from owner Jeff Bezos and publisher Will Lewis.