WaPo CEO Exits

Will Lewis

Washington Post CEO and Publisher Will Lewis has stepped down, the company announced Saturday, just three days after massive layoffs that eliminated about one-third of the newsroom staff — more than 300 journalists — and drew intense backlash.

Jeff D’Onofrio, the newspaper’s chief financial officer, was named acting CEO and publisher effective immediately.

Lewis announced his departure in a brief email to staff, stating that “after two years of transformation at The Washington Post, now is the right time for me to step aside.” He cited “difficult decisions” made to ensure the paper’s sustainable future and thanked owner Jeff Bezos for his support, but made no mention of the laid-off journalists or current staff.

The exit follows widespread criticism of the layoffs, which decimated local, international, and sports coverage, including the shutdown of the renowned sports section. Former executive editor Marty Baron described the cuts as one of the “darkest days” in the history of a major news organization.

The timing amplified outrage: Lewis was seen in meetings Wednesday with no hint of leaving and was photographed at a pre-Super Bowl event in San Francisco the next day, even as the sports department was being shuttered. 

He did not join the Zoom call where top editor Matt Murray informed employees of the job losses.

Katie Mettler, a former chair of the Washington Post Guild, reacted sharply: “I’m glad Will Lewis has been fired. I wish it had happened before he fired all my friends.”

In a separate statement, Bezos emphasized the Post’s “essential journalistic mission and an extraordinary opportunity,” noting that readers provide a “road map to success,” without directly addressing the layoffs or Lewis’s departure.

The British-born Lewis was a former top executive at The Wall Street Journal before taking over at The Post in January 2024. His tenure has been rocky from the start, marked by layoffs and a failed reorganization plan that led to the departure of former top editor Sally Buzbee.

His initial choice to take over for Buzbee, Robert Winnett, withdrew from the job after ethical questions were raised about both he and Lewis' actions while working in England. They include paying for information that produced major stories, actions that would be considered unethical in American journalism. The current executive editor, Matt Murray, took over shortly thereafter.