WASHINGTON,February 3,2024 – The Washington Post underwent a seismic shift Saturday with the abrupt departure of its CEO and publisher,Will Lewis-just days after the newspaper enacted sweeping job cuts that sparked outrage among its readership.
The cuts, impacting hundreds of journalists including most of its overseas, local, and sports staff, came as the Post grapples with financial challenges common to the news industry, but Lewis’s two-year tenure and attempts to reverse losses drew sharp criticism from both employees and subscribers.
Jeff D’Onofrio, formerly the CEO of Tumblr and recently the Post’s chief financial officer, will succeed Lewis “effective immediately,” according to a statement released by the paper.
Editorial Independence Under Scrutiny
The leadership change follows a period of controversy surrounding editorial decisions and financial performance at the storied publication.
- Will Lewis stepped down as CEO and publisher of The Washington Post.
- Jeff D’Onofrio,previously CFO,has been appointed as the new publisher.
- The changes follow meaningful staff reductions announced Wednesday.
- Concerns have been raised about editorial interference from owner Jeff Bezos.
Lewis, in an email to staff shared on social media, stated it was “the right time for me to step aside.” The Post’s statement offered no further clarification for the change in leadership.
Approximately 300 of the Post’s 800 journalists were laid off on Wednesday, according to reporting by The New York Times. The entire Middle East bureau was eliminated,as was the position of the Kyiv-based Ukraine correspondent,even as the war with Russia continues. Significant reductions also impacted the sports, graphics, and local news departments, and the daily podcast, Post Reports, was suspended.
Hundreds of protesters gathered Thursday in front of the newspaper’s headquarters in downtown Washington to voice their opposition to the cuts.
Newspapers nationwide are struggling with declining revenues and readership as they compete with the pervasive reach of social media, where advertising dollars have largely shifted. While publications like The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal have demonstrated financial resilience, the Post, despite the backing of billionaire Jeff Bezos, has not achieved the same stability.
in his note to staff,Lewis acknowledged that “difficult decisions have been taken” to ensure the “lasting future of The Post so it can for many years ahead publish high-quality nonpartisan news.”
Bezos, in a statement, emphasized the importance of data in guiding the paper’s future, saying the Post has “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.”
However, both Bezos and lewis have faced criticism for directly intervening in the paper’s editorial processes. Bezos reportedly curtailed the newspaper’s traditionally liberal-leaning editorial page and blocked an endorsement of Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris in the days leading up to the 2024 election-a move that broke with the long-held principle of editorial independence.
Many observers believe this decision was influenced by Donald Trump, who ultimately won the election. The Wall Street Journal reported that the Post lost approximately 250,000 digital subscribers and around $100 million in revenue in 2024 following the decision not to endorse Harris.
Critics fear that a weakened Post will diminish the press corps’ ability to hold the government accountable, particularly given Trump’s history of directly pressuring journalists and initiating lawsuits against media organizations.
Marty Baron,the Post’s executive editor until 2021,described the job cuts as “among the darkest days in the history of one of the world’s greatest news organizations.”
