Washington Post Publisher Will Lewis Steps Down Amidst Significant Staff Reductions
Will Lewis, the publisher of The Washington Post, has announced his resignation, concluding a turbulent period at the newspaper. This decision comes just days after the announcement of a substantial reduction in the newspaper’s workforce, affecting a third of its employees.
In a brief email to the staff, Lewis expressed that “now is the right time for me to step aside” after two years of transformation. Jeff D’Onofrio, the paper’s chief financial officer, has been named interim publisher.
Notably absent from the meeting where layoffs were disclosed were both Lewis and Jeff Bezos, the billionaire owner of The Washington Post. The layoffs, deeper than initially anticipated, have resulted in the closure of the celebrated sports section, the disbandment of the photography team, and significant cuts to the staff covering metropolitan Washington and international news.
The Washington Post has experienced a series of talent departures in recent years, compounded by a loss of tens of thousands of subscribers. This decline followed Bezos’ decision during the 2024 presidential campaign to retract a planned endorsement of Kamala Harris, subsequently shifting the opinion section towards a more conservative stance.
Former editor Martin Baron criticized Bezos this week, accusing him of attempting to gain favor with President Donald Trump and describing the situation at the newspaper as “a case study in near-instant, self-inflicted brand destruction.”
Lewis, originally from Britain and a former executive at The Wall Street Journal, assumed the role at The Post in January 2024. His tenure has been marked by challenges, including layoffs and a failed reorganization strategy that led to the exit of ex-editor Sally Buzbee.
Controversy surrounded his initial replacement for Buzbee, Robert Winnett, who withdrew amid ethical concerns regarding past actions in England, involving payments for information—a practice considered unethical in American journalism. Matt Murray has since taken over as executive editor.
Lewis’ interactions with the staff were not always well-received, with instances of blunt remarks about their work, including comments on needing changes due to insufficient readership.
Following recent layoffs, some voices have called for Bezos to either increase his financial commitment to The Post or sell it to someone willing to take a more proactive approach. Despite the challenges, Lewis commended Bezos, stating, “The institution could not have had a better owner.”
In his farewell note, Lewis stated, “During my tenure, difficult decisions have been taken in order to ensure the sustainable future of The Post so it can for many years ahead publish high-quality nonpartisan news to millions of customer each day.”
D’Onofrio, who joined The Post last June after working as the financial chief for Raptive, a digital ad management company, addressed the staff, acknowledging the challenging times across media organizations. “This is a challenging time across all media organizations, and The Post is unfortunately no exception,” he wrote. He expressed confidence in overcoming these challenges together.
