Washington Post CEO Will Lewis resigns after major layoffs

The Washington Post CEO Will Lewis has resigned just days after the newspaper announced massive layoffs.

In an email to staff on Saturday, Lewis announced his resignation, stating, “After two years of transformation at The Washington Post, now is the right time for me to step aside.”

He praised the billionaire owner of the newspaper Jeff Bezos, saying, “I want to thank Jeff Bezos for his support and leadership throughout my tenure as CEO and Publisher. The institution could not have a better owner.”

Lewis, who has been at the helm of The Washington Post since January 2024, said that some difficult decisions were made during his tenure to ensure the newspaper’s sustainable future.

His resignation comes after the company laid off nearly one-third of its workforce, which resulted in the closure of its sports section and the elimination of its photography staff.

The Post did not share the number of staff it laid off; however, The New York Times reported that the company laid off around 300 out of its 800 employees.

The decision drew widespread criticism, as the layoffs included reporters covering the warzone, including Lizzie Johnson currently in Kyiv. Ms Johnson took to X and wrote, “I was just laid off by The Washington Post in the middle of a warzone. I have no words. I am devastated.”

The newspaper has been running at a deficit for a while now and it received a major setback and a decline in subscriber readership after its owner backtracked from the planned endorsement of Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential elections.

The union, known as The Washington Post Guild, representing staff members, severely criticized Lewis, stating, “His legacy will be the attempted destruction of a great American journalism institution.”