Amid deepening financial troubles and newsroom upheaval, Washington Post CEO William Lewis has stepped down following sweeping layoffs that eliminated hundreds of jobs across the organisation.
Though newspapers across the United States have been grappling with severe industry headwinds, Lewis’s leadership during his two-year tenure drew sharp criticism from both subscribers and employees as he sought to reverse mounting losses at the 145-year-old daily, reports France 24.
Lewis, who is British, has been replaced effective immediately by Jeff D’Onofrio, a former CEO of social media platform Tumblr who joined the Post last year as chief financial officer, the newspaper said in a statement.
In an email to staff that was later shared on social media, Lewis said it was “the right time for me to step aside.” The Post confirmed that D’Onofrio would take over with immediate effect.
The leadership change comes days after the newspaper announced sweeping cuts across multiple departments. Hundreds of journalists — including much of its international, metro and sports staff — were laid off. While the Post did not disclose the exact number of positions eliminated, The New York Times reported that around 300 of its roughly 800 journalists were affected.
According to media reports, the entire Middle East team and the Kyiv-based Ukraine correspondent were among those let go. The sports, graphics and local news desks were significantly scaled back, and the daily podcast Post Reports was suspended.
The layoffs sparked protests, with hundreds gathering outside the newspaper’s headquarters in downtown Washington on Thursday.
US newspapers have faced declining advertising revenues and subscriptions for years, as digital platforms and social media reshape the media landscape. While some national outlets such as The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal have managed to stabilise their finances, the Post — despite being owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos — has struggled to achieve similar stability.
In his message to staff, Lewis said “difficult decisions have been taken” to ensure the Post’s long-term sustainability and its ability to continue producing “high-quality nonpartisan news.”
Bezos, one of the world’s richest individuals, said in a statement that the newspaper has “an extraordinary opportunity” and that reader data provides “a roadmap to success.”
However, both Bezos and Lewis have faced scrutiny over alleged interference in editorial decisions. Bezos was criticised for blocking an endorsement of Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris ahead of the 2024 US election — a move widely seen as breaking with the paper’s tradition of editorial independence.
The decision reportedly triggered a sharp drop in digital subscriptions. The Wall Street Journal reported that around 250,000 subscribers cancelled their subscriptions after the Post declined to endorse Harris. The newspaper is also said to have incurred losses of about $100 million in 2024 amid falling advertising and subscription revenues.
Former executive editor Marty Baron described the layoffs as “among the darkest days in the history of one of the world’s greatest news organizations,” reflecting broader concerns about the future of the American press.
