Will Lewis, the publisher and chief executive officer of The Washington Post, has stepped down from his position following the dismissal of more than 300 journalists at the influential US newspaper.
Lewis announced his resignation on Saturday, local time, amid mounting criticism over the paper’s handling of layoffs and its broader financial direction. The mass job cuts, carried out just days earlier, triggered widespread backlash within the newsroom and across the media industry.
Jeff D’Onofrio has been appointed as acting publisher, according to the newspaper.
In a brief note to staff, Lewis thanked The Washington Post’s owner and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos for his support, describing him as an exceptional leader and owner of the institution. Lewis said the decision to step aside came after two years of overseeing major changes at the newspaper.
“After two years of transformation at The Washington Post, this feels like the right moment for me to step away,” Lewis wrote, adding that difficult decisions were necessary to secure the paper’s long-term sustainability and its ability to continue serving millions of readers.
He indicated that the layoffs were part of efforts to ensure a viable future for the publication.
However, CNN reported that Lewis was not present when the layoffs were announced last Wednesday. Instead, he was reportedly attending a sporting event at a stadium while hundreds of employees learned they were losing their jobs—a detail that further fueled anger and criticism among staff and observers.
The developments have intensified debates over newsroom downsizing, media sustainability, and leadership accountability in major US news organizations.
