Big changes are shaking up the Washington Post.
Just days after announcing mass layoffs, the newspaper revealed that its CEO, William Lewis, is stepping down. Talk about timing.
Lewis told staff it was the “right time to leave,” adding that “difficult decisions” had been made to secure the paper’s future.
And those decisions? They were drastic. On Wednesday, the Post cut a third of its workforce, including the entire Middle East staff and its Kyiv-based Ukraine correspondent.
It slashed coverage of sports and international news.
The move sparked protests outside the Post’s DC headquarters and drew sharp criticism of billionaire owner Jeff Bezos.
Executive editor Matt Murray called the layoffs a step toward “stability.”
Former editor Marty Baron called them “among the darkest days in the history of one of the world’s greatest news organisations.”
To help displaced reporters—especially those overseas without union protections—GoFundMe pages have popped up.
They are raising hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Post Leadership Shakeup
Michelle Lee, who organised one page, said, “They are a dedicated, talented, multilingual, brilliant bunch. They don’t deserve this.”
Lewis, a former Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones executive, joined the Post in 2023.
He struggled to reverse financial losses while managing subscriber outrage.
Under Bezos, the paper has faced upheavals including controversial editorial shifts, loss of subscribers, and staff resignations.
These were over changes in political endorsements.
With Lewis gone and D’Onofrio stepping in as acting CEO, one question remains.
Can the Post navigate this storm without losing the journalistic edge that made it legendary?
