Resignation of Washington Post CEO Following Mass Layoffs

Mon Feb 09 2026 01:42:16 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Will Lewis departs as CEO of the Washington Post shortly after substantial staff cuts aimed at addressing financial losses and ensuring the publication's future.

The Washington Post's chief executive, Will Lewis, has announced his resignation just days after the newspaper implemented significant layoffs, affecting a third of its workforce. This decision has faced criticism from both journalists and the public, with protests erupting outside the paper's headquarters. The cuts, aimed at financial stability, have also included substantial changes to the paper's news coverage, particularly in sports and international reporting.

Resignation of Washington Post CEO Following Mass Layoffs

The chief executive of the Washington Post, Will Lewis, has stepped down from his position, as officially announced by the newspaper just days following major layoffs impacting a substantial portion of its workforce.

In a communication to staff that was shared online, Lewis indicated that the decision to resign was timely, emphasizing that difficult decisions had been made in the interest of securing the future of the publication.

Earlier this week, the Washington Post revealed that it was reducing its staff by one third, dramatically affecting its coverage of both sports and international news.

This move has drawn condemnation from journalists and has raised concerns regarding the direction in which the publication, owned by billionaire Jeff Bezos, is headed. Executive editor Matt Murray defended the cuts, asserting that they were essential to establish greater financial stability.

The paper has appointed Jeff D'Onofrio, who served as chief financial officer last year, as acting publisher and CEO following Lewis's departure.

Lewis, who previously held roles at Dow Jones and was the publisher of the Wall Street Journal, took on the CEO role at the Washington Post in 2023. Throughout his tenure, he faced backlash from both subscribers and staff as he attempted to address the ongoing financial challenges facing the daily.

Protests erupted outside the Washington Post's headquarters in Washington D.C. on Thursday in response to the layoffs, which eliminated the entire Middle East reporting staff and the Kyiv correspondent, stirring further discontent within the journalistic community.

Marty Baron, the Post's former executive editor until 2021, described the staff cuts as among the darkest days in the history of one of the world's greatest news organizations. Lewis’s resignation adds to a backdrop of turmoil that has characterized the prominent U.S. newspaper in recent years, marked by a series of staffing reductions and controversial editorial shifts.

As the 2024 U.S. presidential election approaches, Bezos's decision to depart from decades of tradition by not endorsing a presidential candidate has also garnered significant public criticism and led to a decline in subscriber numbers.

In recent months, the opinion editor also resigned following Bezos’s influence on the paper's editorial focus, which he stated would emphasize personal liberties and free markets. This prompted a backlash against the newspaper's approach to political commentary, further complicating its relationship with its readership.