WaPo CCO Stepping Down

Kathy Baird, the Chief Communications Officer of The Washington Post, informed her colleagues via email, that she will resign from her position effective March 31, 2025. Her departure marks another high-profile exit amid a period of significant upheaval at the newspaper. Baird did not provide a specific reason for her resignation in the announcement.

Baird joined The Washington Post in November 2022, coming from Nike, where she served as Senior Director of Global Communications. With over 25 years of experience in marketing and communications across Fortune 500 companies, she was tasked with overseeing corporate communications, public relations, brand marketing, live events, and community impact initiatives, including the Washington Post Live journalism platform. 

She reported directly to Publisher and CEO Will Lewis following a restructuring in April 2024, after initially reporting to Fred Ryan. Her tenure included notable efforts such as leading internal and external communications strategies, spearheading talent management initiatives to elevate the profiles of The Post’s journalists, and advancing the paper’s Press Freedom Partnership.

Her resignation follows a turbulent period for The Washington Post, which has seen layoffs, leadership changes, and a strategic shift under Lewis.

While no explicit reason for her departure was given, the timing—19 days from her announcement—and the lack of a stated next step suggest it may be tied to the broader instability at The Washington Post. Her exit leaves the paper’s communications strategy in flux