**Lewis Resigns as Washington Post CEO and Publisher Following Major Layoffs**
Will Lewis, the embattled CEO and publisher of The Washington Post, has resigned just three days after the storied newspaper laid off about one-third of its staff.
In a note sent to employees on Saturday and subsequently shared on social media, Lewis wrote, “After two years of transformation, now is the right time for me to step aside. During my tenure, difficult decisions had to be 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.” He also expressed gratitude to Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos, thanking him “for his support and leadership.”
The Post announced that Lewis would be “immediately” replaced by Jeff D’Onofrio as acting publisher. D’Onofrio has served as the Post’s chief financial officer since June 2025 and previously was CEO of the social media platform Tumblr.
Lewis had held the role of Post publisher since November 2023. Prior to joining The Washington Post, he was publisher of the Wall Street Journal from 2014 to 2020.
The layoffs were first announced by Post executive editor Matt Murray during a Zoom call on Wednesday. According to multiple media reports, Lewis faced criticism from employees after he was reportedly absent from that Zoom meeting.
As part of the restructuring, The Washington Post scaled back its foreign news coverage and shut down several sections of the paper, including sports. In a letter shared with the newsroom and provided to CBS News, Murray explained that the changes are intended to “place The Washington Post on a stronger footing” and better position the paper amid a “rapidly changing era of new technologies and evolving user habits.”
A spokesperson for The Post confirmed to CBS News that approximately one-third of the newsroom staff were impacted by the cuts.
Earlier this week, Martin Baron, who served as executive editor of The Washington Post from 2013 to 2021, voiced criticism of the current leadership’s editorial decisions. He highlighted a controversial choice not to endorse a presidential candidate in the days leading up to the 2024 national election, stating that it damaged the paper’s reputation. Baron also placed blame on Jeff Bezos for allegedly prioritizing his other businesses, Amazon and Blue Origin, over The Washington Post.
The newsroom now faces a pivotal moment as it adapts to significant changes in leadership and staff, with the goal of sustaining high-quality journalism in an evolving media landscape.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/washington-post-publisher-will-lewis-resigns-mass-layoffs/
