The Washington Post is facing another moment of upheaval after its chief executive stepped down just days after the once-dominant newspaper slashed nearly a third of its workforce in a sweeping round of layoffs.
The paper announced Saturday that publisher and CEO Will Lewis is leaving his post, following roughly 300 job cuts that amounted to about 30 percent of the company’s staff. In a brief message to employees, Lewis said his departure was meant to help ensure a “sustainable future” for the struggling outlet.
“After two years of transformation at The Washington Post, now is the right time for me to step aside,” Lewis wrote, according to CNN. He thanked owner Jeff Bezos for his backing, calling him a strong leader and saying the institution “could not have a better owner.” Lewis said the difficult decisions made during his tenure were necessary to allow the paper to continue publishing what he described as high-quality, nonpartisan journalism.
Lewis was brought in during 2024 by Bezos as part of an effort to stabilize the Post after years of declining readership and persistent financial losses. Despite those efforts, the company has continued to bleed money, forcing executives to make what they describe as painful but unavoidable changes. The Post’s chief financial officer, Jeff D’Onofrio, will take over as interim CEO.
Bezos also addressed staff in a message included with the announcement, striking an optimistic tone about the newspaper’s future. He said the Post still has an essential journalistic mission and a major opportunity ahead, adding that reader data offers clear guidance on what content is valuable and where the company should focus its resources.
The leadership shakeup comes amid one of the most dramatic restructurings in the paper’s history. Executives confirmed this week that about 300 positions were eliminated as the organization moved to cut what it views as financial liabilities and redirect resources toward areas that generate revenue. Company leaders acknowledged that the Post has struggled to adapt to a rapidly changing media environment and must now reinvent itself to survive.
Executive editor Matt Murray told staff that the paper cannot simply try to endure but must fundamentally rethink both its journalism and business model. In a memo sent during the layoffs, Murray said renewed ambition is required if the Post hopes to remain competitive.
Some of the deepest cuts hit the newsroom’s international reporting and sports department. The sports section was effectively dismantled, with some writers reassigned to features. International coverage was significantly reduced, though the Post will maintain reporters in roughly a dozen countries.
Additional changes include a restructuring of the metro section and the shutdown of the Post Reports podcast. Going forward, the outlet says it will concentrate on national news, investigative reporting, and coverage of health and wellness.
Murray told staff that the moves are about making the paper more essential in what he called a crowded and highly competitive media landscape. He acknowledged that for too long the Post operated as though it were still a near-monopoly local newspaper, a reality that no longer exists.
The departure of the CEO so soon after massive layoffs underscores the depth of the challenges facing one of America’s most influential newsrooms, as legacy media outlets continue to struggle with declining audiences, shrinking revenues, and a rapidly evolving digital marketplace.
