Three days after The Washington Post announced the layoff of a third of its editorial staff, Washington Post CEO Will Lewis resigned
Executive Director The Washington Post Will Lewis said on Saturday that he is submitting resignation, three days after that respected American newspaper announced the dismissal of a third of its editorial staff.
Lewis announced his departure in a two-paragraph email to staff at the paper, indicating that two years into the transformation, now was the “right time” for him to step down.
Washington Post CFO Jeff D’Onofrio has been named interim CEO.
Neither Lewis nor Washington Post billionaire owner Jeff Bezos was present at a newsroom meeting when the layoffs were announced Wednesday.
More layoffs than expected
Although the layoffs were expected, they were larger than expected, and as a result the paper’s famed sports newsroom was closed, its photography staff was laid off, and there were major cuts to staff responsible for reporting from Washington itself and from abroad.
This comes despite a major exodus of talented journalists in recent years at the paper, which has lost thousands of subscribers following Bezos’ order in late 2024 near the end of the presidential campaign not to endorse Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, and a reorientation of the “Opinions” section in a more conservative direction.
Lewis, who was born in Great Britain, was previously managing director of the Wall Street Journal and took over the Washington Post in January 2024. His leadership of the paper was turbulent from the beginning, marked by layoffs, a failed reorganization plan that led to the departure of editor-in-chief Sally Busby.
After this week’s layoffs, there have been calls for Bezos to increase his investment in the paper or sell it to someone who will take a more active role. Lewis praised Bezos in his message.
“This institution could not have a better owner,” he said.
“During my time at the helm, tough decisions were made to ensure a sustainable future for The Washington Post, so it can deliver high-quality, objective news to millions of users every day for years to come,” Lewis said.
The Washington Post union, which represents employees, said Lewis should have left a long time ago.
Bezos must immediately reverse the layoffs or sell the paper
“His legacy will be an attempt to destroy a great American journalistic institution. But it is not too late to save the Post. Jeff Bezos must immediately reverse the layoffs or sell the paper to someone willing to invest in its future,” the union said.
Bezos did not mention Lewis in the statement, which said D’Onofrio and his team are positioned to lead the paper into an “exciting and successful new chapter.”
D’Onofrio, who joined the paper last June, wrote in a message to employees that they are ending the week of changes with more changes.
“These are challenging times across media organizations, and the Post is unfortunately no exception,” D’Onofrio wrote, expressing confidence in the industry’s ability to weather economic hardships in a changing environment.
Source: Beta, Vreme
