On February 8, 2026, amid a large-scale downsizing that has caused internal turmoil, Will Lewis, the publisher of The Washington Post, announced his resignation. This comes just three days after the newspaper confirmed the dismissal of about one-third of its staff, ending his controversial two-year tenure.
Lewis stated in a brief email to all employees that after two years of transformation, “now is the right time for me to step down.” The newspaper immediately appointed Chief Financial Officer Jeff D’Onofrio as the interim publisher.
The owner of the newspaper, billionaire Jeff Bezos, did not directly mention Lewis in his statement, only saying that D’Onofrio and his team are capable of leading The Washington Post into an “exciting new chapter” and emphasizing that reader data will guide the future direction. D’Onofrio reassured employees that the entire media industry is facing economic headwinds, but he remains confident in The Washington Post’s ability to overcome challenges.
The scale of this downsizing far exceeded internal expectations, not only resulting in the closure of the iconic sports section and the dissolution of the photography department but also significant reductions in the staffing responsible for local and overseas reporting in the Washington D.C. area. Both Lewis and Bezos did not attend the explanation meeting with employees about the layoffs.
During the 2024 U.S. presidential election, Bezos halted the newspaper’s planned endorsement of Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and pushed for the opinion section to lean towards a more conservative direction. Meanwhile, the newspaper has been facing ongoing operational pressures due to talent drain and declining subscribers in recent years.
Lewis, who was born in the UK and previously served as an executive at The Wall Street Journal, took over The Washington Post in January 2024. Shortly after assuming office, he initiated organizational restructuring and downsizing, but the reform process sparked disagreements among the management team, leading to the departure of then-editor Sally Buzbee during the related adjustments.
Lewis’s initially appointed successor, Robert Winnett, withdrew from the appointment due to ethical controversies involving payment for news tips during his tenure in the UK. Executive Editor Matt Murray then took over the role.
In addition, Lewis bluntly stated during an employee meeting that The Washington Post must make changes because “there are not enough people reading your work.” These remarks caused strong backlash within the editorial department, further deepening the tension between the management and the editorial team.
The Washington Post’s employee union described Lewis’s resignation as “too little, too late” in a statement, accusing his actions as an attempt to “destroy a great American news organization.” The union also urged Bezos to immediately withdraw the layoff decision or sell the newspaper to a buyer willing to increase investment.
(Adapted from a report by The Associated Press)