CEO of Washington Post Steps Down Following Significant Layoffs
Will Lewis, CEO and publisher of The Washington Post, tendered his resignation unexpectedly on the evening of Saturday, February 7, 2026. This came shortly after the newspaper declared substantial layoffs impacting a third of its workforce, including a minimum of 300 journalists. Lewis’s resignation concludes a tumultuous two-year term characterized by controversy, a decrease in subscribers, and unsuccessful attempts to transform the renowned American newspaper.
The departure of Lewis occurred amidst severe criticism when he was seen at NFL Honors in San Francisco on the same day the layoffs were announced. This was in lieu of attending a virtual meeting with the staff affected by the layoffs. In a concise note to the employees, Lewis wrote, “After two years of transformation at The Washington Post, now is the right time for me to step aside.”
The publication, owned by Jeff Bezos, announced that Jeff D’Onofrio, the former CEO of Tumblr and current Chief Financial Officer, will assume the roles of acting publisher and CEO effective immediately. During Lewis’s tenure, the Post experienced a loss of over 375,000 digital subscribers, a decline of 15%, following controversial editorial decisions and Bezos’s directive to shift the focus of the opinion section towards “personal liberties and free markets.”
The Washington Post Guild, which represents the staff members, described Lewis’s exit as “long overdue.” They stated that his legacy would be remembered as “the attempted destruction of a great American journalism institution.” Marty Baron, the former executive editor, issued a harsh statement, asserting that the challenges faced by the Post “were made indefinitely worse by ill-conceived decisions that came from the very top.” In his first statement since the layoffs, owner Jeff Bezos expressed confidence in D’Onofrio and the leadership team, stating they are “positioned to lead the Post into an exciting and thriving next chapter.”
Source: CNN