Will Lewis steps down as Washington Post CEO and publisher after mass employee layoffs

Publisher and Chief Executive Will Lewis has resigned from The Washington Post, days after the newsroom announced sweeping layoffs that cut nearly one-third of its staff. The decision came as a shock to many inside the organisation, following the loss of around 300 journalists in one of the largest newsroom layoffs in recent US media history.

Lewis took charge in early 2024 and was widely seen as the hand-picked choice of owner Jeff Bezos. He informed staff of his departure through an email sent on Saturday evening. His resignation followed strong criticism from reporters, editors and media observers over both the scale of the job cuts and his leadership approach.

In his message, Lewis wrote, “After two years of transformation at The Washington Post, now is the right time for me to step aside.” He also thanked Bezos, saying, “I want to thank Jeff Bezos for his support and leadership throughout my tenure as CEO and Publisher. The institution could not have a better owner.”

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Newsroom backlash of 300 employees being laid off

The resignation comes amid deep dissatisfaction within the newsroom after last week’s layoffs led to the closure of key departments and reduced coverage in areas including sports, books, local reporting and international news. Many journalists described the cuts as a serious blow to the Post’s reporting capacity.

Lewis also faced criticism for not being present during the announcement of the layoffs, with reports highlighting that he attended Super Bowl events as staff members were being let go.

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Earlier, Lewis held a senior position at 'The Wall Street Journal'. He joined The Washington Post in January 2024. At that time, the concerned organisation was going through a financial crisis. A series of questions was also raised about his leadership. Notably, among the Washington Post employees who were laid off was Ishan Tharoor, son of Congress leader Shashi Tharoor.

Lewis defended the restructuring in his memo, stating the changes were necessary “to ensure the sustainable future of The Post so it can for many years ahead publish high-quality nonpartisan news to millions of customers each day.”

Following his exit, chief financial officer Jeff D’Onofrio has been appointed acting publisher and CEO. In a note to staff, D’Onofrio acknowledged the challenging moment for the industry and expressed confidence in the newspaper’s future direction.