Will Lewis, chief executive and publisher of The Washington Post has announced he will be leaving the masthead just days after a third of its staff were laid off via email as Bezos makes first public statement regarding the polarising move.
Lewis was personally appointed by the publication’s billionaire owner, Jeff Bezos, in 2023, tasked with steering the title away from a worsening trajectory.
In a statement to The Washington Post staff, Lewis said: “After two years of transformation at The Washington Post, now is the right time for me to step aside. I want to thank Jeff Bezos for his support and leadership throughout my tenure as CEO and publisher. The institution could not have a better owner”.
“During my tenure, difficult decisions have been taken in order to ensure the sustainable future of The Post so it can for many years ahead publish high-quality nonpartisan news to millions of customers each day.”
The cuts marked the most severe staff reduction in the company’s history and included the closure of entire departments, including its sports department and many of its foreign bureaus. The controversial decision sparked outrage from both current and former staff, who have criticised the scale and delivery of the cuts.
Lewis in particular has been under fire for his absence when the cuts were announced and rolled out. He reportedly made no direct communication with staff, nor did he issue any kind of relevant statement, leaving Matt Murphy, editor-in-chief on damage control.
In his first public statement since the mass cuts, Bezos said: “The Post has an essential journalistic mission and an extraordinary opportunity”.
“Each and every day our readers give us a roadmap to success. The data tells us what is valuable and where to focus.”
Bezos notably skipped over the news of Lewis’ departure, or why the Washington Post’s fortunes have nose dived quicker than his space rocket since the billionaire began currying favour with Donald Trump.
Tensions have long been high at The Washington Post following a decision made to not endorse Kamala Harris in the days leading up to the 2024 election, which led to staff unrest and the masthead losing more than 250,000 subscribers, a turn it has not recovered from.
