Washington Post CEO quits after cuts that led to Bezos backlash

Will Lewis

Washington Post Chief Executive Officer Will Lewis resigned, days after the newspaper laid off several hundred staffers in a move that triggered a backlash against billionaire owner Jeff Bezos.

Jeff D’Onofrio, a former Tumblr Inc. CEO who joined the Post last year as chief financial officer, is taking over as acting publisher and CEO effective immediately, the company said in a statement.

“The Post has an essential journalistic mission and an extraordinary opportunity,” Bezos said, adding that he sees the outlet headed for “an exciting and thriving next chapter.”

The Post laid off a third of its staff on Wednesday, including a swath of foreign correspondents and US-based journalists, prompting an outcry from critics, including US senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. The Washington Post Guild union said hundreds of its members were let go “without rhyme or reason.”

Bezos, the co-founder of Amazon.com Inc., purchased the Post in 2013 and set about expanding the paper’s footprint, injecting much-needed investment. But in recent years, the Post, like other mainstream print publications such as the Los Angeles Times, has cut back as ad revenue dried up and subscriptions shriveled.

In 2023, the Post cut about 240 jobs, mostly through buyouts. That same year, Bezos named Lewis, former publisher of the Wall Street Journal, as the new publisher and CEO.

Bezos’ decision in 2024 to stop publishing presidential endorsements, ending decades of tradition, caused an outcry inside and outside of the newspaper. Multiple editors and writers resigned and many subscribers canceled.

Washington Post sports columnist Barry Svrluga posted a screenshot of what he said was Lewis’ farewell message to staff, which said “difficult decisions” to ensure the Post’s sustainable future were taken under his leadership.

“All — after two years of transformation at the Washington Post, now is the right time for me to step aside,” the message read.