Washington Post publisher Will Lewis steps down after major layoffs

Washington Post publisher Will Lewis steps down. Photo AP

Washington, Feb 8 (UNB/AP) – Washington Post publisher Will Lewis has stepped down, just days after the newspaper announced plans to lay off about one-third of its staff.

Lewis informed employees of his decision in a brief email on Saturday, saying that after two years of leading major changes at the paper, it was time for him to step aside. The Post’s Chief Financial Officer Jeff D’Onofrio has been appointed interim publisher.

The resignation follows deep job cuts announced earlier this week, which included shutting down the sports section, ending the photography department, and reducing staff in Washington and overseas bureaus. Neither Lewis nor newspaper owner Jeff Bezos attended the staff meeting where the layoffs were announced.

The Post has faced challenges in recent years, including declining subscriptions after a controversial decision to withdraw a planned endorsement in the 2024 US presidential election and changes to its opinion section.

The Washington Post Guild welcomed Lewis’s departure, calling his leadership damaging to the newspaper, and urged Bezos to reverse the layoffs or sell the paper.

In a statement, Bezos said the newspaper remains committed to its journalistic mission. D’Onofrio told staff the paper is facing difficult times but will work to adapt and move forward. - UNB