The Washington Post has announced the immediate resignation of its publisher and chief executive, Will Lewis. This move comes just days after the newspaper implemented drastic redundancies that eliminated a third of its workforce.
In a memo to staff shared online, Lewis described it as “the right time” to depart. He added that “difficult decisions” had been essential to secure the paper’s future.
The redundancies, revealed on Wednesday, affected more than 300 positions across departments. They included the complete Middle East bureau, the Kyiv-based Ukraine correspondent, and substantial reductions in sports and international coverage.
Protests erupted outside the Washington DC headquarters on Thursday, with hundreds demonstrating. Former executive editor Marty Baron called the cuts “among the darkest days in the history of one of the world’s greatest news organisations.”
The Washington Post Guild labelled Lewis’s exit “long overdue” and urged owner Jeff Bezos to halt further cuts or sell the paper. Executive editor Matt Murray described the redundancies as a route to “stability.”
Jeff D’Onofrio, chief financial officer since last year, assumes the role of acting publisher and CEO.
Bezos welcomed the leadership change as an “extraordinary opportunity.” He emphasised the paper’s journalistic mission and reader priorities, against a backdrop of reported annual losses nearing $100m last year.
Lewis joined the Post in 2023, following stints as Dow Jones chief executive and Wall Street Journal publisher. His tenure saw intense criticism from staff and subscribers over efforts to curb financial losses.
Controversies mounted during his time. Ahead of the 2024 U.S. presidential election, Bezos ended decades of tradition by deciding the paper would not endorse a presidential candidate. It had backed Democrats in nearly every race since the 1970s, a shift that drove away tens of thousands of subscribers.
In February last year, the opinion editor resigned after Bezos refocused commentary on personal liberties and free markets. He stated opposing pieces would no longer appear.
Other flashpoints included the departure of executive editor Sally Buzbee and abandoned plans for a third newsroom. Lewis also faced scrutiny over past UK phone-hacking links.
Bezos acquired the newspaper in 2013.