Overview
- The Washington Post confirmed that Will Lewis stepped down just days after eliminating roughly 300 positions, about 30% of the workforce.
- Chief financial officer Jeff D’Onofrio was named interim publisher and CEO, and Jeff Bezos publicly endorsed the interim leadership team.
- The cuts shut the Books section, largely dismantled Sports, canceled the Post Reports podcast, and reduced Metro and foreign coverage, including correspondents in Ukraine and the Middle East.
- Backlash has mounted inside and outside the newsroom, with former editor Marty Baron calling it one of the paper’s darkest days and the Washington Post Guild urging Bezos to reverse the layoffs or sell.
- Lewis said he resigned to ensure a sustainable future for the outlet after a turbulent tenure that included an unrealized social-first reorganization and the departure of executive editor Sally Buzbee.