Will Lewis was succeeded by Jeff D’Onofrio, a former Tumblr CEO who came on board the publication as chief financial officer last year.
The Washington Post announced on Saturday that its CEO and publisher, Will Lewis, is stepping down immediately, just days after the renowned newspaper, owned by Amazon’s billionaire founder Jeff Bezos, implemented significant layoffs that upset its audience.
Despite the challenging conditions that newspapers throughout the U.S. have experienced, Lewis faced strong criticism from both readers and staff during his two-year period leading the publication as he worked to address financial shortfalls.
Lewis, an Englishman, has been succeeded by Jeff D’Onofrio, who previously served as the CEO of the social media site Tumblr and joined the Post as chief financial officer last year, according to the newspaper.
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In a message sent to employees, which was posted on social media by one of the newspaper’s journalists, Lewis stated that “it is the right moment for me to step back.”
A statement from the Post mentioned that D’Onofrio was taking over from Lewis “immediately”.
Hundreds of Washington Post journalists, including the majority of its international, local, and sports team members, were laid off in the extensive reductions announced on Wednesday.
The Post did not reveal how many positions were being cut, but The New York Times indicated that approximately 300 out of its 800 journalists were let go.
The entire Middle East team of the paper was dismissed, along with its Ukraine correspondent based in Kyiv, as the conflict with Russia continues.
Athletics, visual content, and local news teams were significantly reduced, along with the paper’s daily podcast,Post Reports, was put on hold, local media reported.
Thousands gathered on Thursday at a demonstration outside the newspaper’s office in downtown Washington.
Newspapers nationwide have suffered significant declines in income and reader numbers as they struggle to attract attention from social media platforms, with online earnings now far less than what print advertising previously generated.
Nevertheless, national newspapers such as The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal have successfully navigated the crisis and remain financially stable – a feat that the Post has not achieved, even with the support of a billionaire.
In a note addressed to staff, shared on social media by White House correspondent Matt Viser, Lewis stated, “challenging choices have been made” throughout his time in charge “to secure the long-term viability of The Post, enabling it to continue delivering top-tier non-partisan journalism for years to come.”
Bezos, among the wealthiest individuals globally, was cited in the Post’s statement, mentioning that the newspaper has “an exceptional chance. Every single day, our readers provide us with a guide to achievement. The data shows us what is important and where to concentrate.”
He and Lewis have faced examination for directly interfering in the newspaper’s editorial procedures.
Bezos limited the newspaper’s left-leaning editorial section and prevented an endorsement of Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris just before the 2024 election – violating the so-called barrier of editorial autonomy.
He was generally perceived as yielding to Donald Trump, who subsequently secured the victory in the election.
The choice reportedly led to financial impacts: According to The Journal, 250,000 digital subscribers left the Post following its decision not to support Harris, resulting in the newspaper losing approximately $100 million in 2024 due to declining advertising and subscription income.
As president, Trump applied intense pressure to reporters, initiating several legal actions against news outlets.
A declining Post, critics fear, may result in the nation’s journalism community being less capable of overseeing government actions.
Marty Baron, who was the Post’s top editor until 2021, described the staff reductions as “some of the darkest moments in the history of one of the world’s most esteemed news outlets.”
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