Will Lewis, the publisher and CEO of The Washington Post, abruptly resigned Saturday evening, ending a tumultuous two-year tenure just days after presiding over one of the largest newsroom staff reductions in the publication’s history.
His departure was announced in a brief, two-paragraph internal email to staff that lacked a subject line. In the note, Lewis characterised his time at the paper as “two years of transformation” and stated that “now is the right time for me to step aside.” He expressed gratitude toward the paper’s owner, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, but notably did not offer a farewell to the journalists he led.
The resignation follows a week of severe internal upheaval. On Wednesday, the Post announced it was laying off 300 employees, roughly one-third of its total workforce – though some reports over the weekend suggest that number was on the low side and the cuts may have affected nearly 45% of staff.
The cuts decimated the paper’s sports department, book coverage, and local and international bureaus, leaving the institution in a state of shock and a number of correspondents seeking a journey home from foreign postings, some in war zones such as Ukraine.
Lewis faced intense criticism for his handling of the layoffs. He was reportedly absent from the mandatory Zoom call where the job cuts were announced, a move that many staffers viewed as a failure of leadership. Tensions escalated further when Lewis was photographed on a red carpet at a Super Bowl-related event in San Francisco just 24 hours after the layoffs, a juxtaposition that many current and former employees described as “tone-deaf” and “insulting.”
Since joining the Post in early 2024 from the Murdoch-owned Dow Jones, Lewis struggled to find his footing. His tenure was marked by financial struggles, including annual losses nearing $100 million, and a public clash with former executive editor Sally Buzbee, who resigned in June 2024. Lewis also faced persistent questions regarding his past role at News UK (formerly News International) during a phone-hacking scandal, an issue he repeatedly declined to address.
The Washington Post Guild, the union representing the paper’s staff, celebrated the news of his exit, calling it “long overdue” and accusing Lewis of the “attempted destruction” of the institution.
Jeff Bezos, who has remained largely silent during the recent turmoil, released a statement following the resignation but did not mention Lewis by name. Instead, he praised the paper’s “essential journalistic mission” and named Chief Financial Officer Jeff D’Onofrio as the acting publisher and CEO. D’Onofrio, who joined the Post last June, will oversee the organisation as it attempts to stabilise under its new, significantly reduced footprint.
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