Will Lewis’ departure comes after the paper cut 30% of its staff while struggling to maintain readership
Will Lewis has stepped down as CEO and publisher of the Washington Post, days after a sweeping round of layoffs that affected virtually every desk. In recent years, the paper has reeled under a drastic fall in audience numbers and ad revenue.
In a message to staff shared by several outlets on Saturday, Lewis, who held the post since early 2024, said “difficult decisions” were made “to ensure the sustainable future of The Post,” adding that he believes the outlet will keep publishing “high-quality nonpartisan news” for years to come.
Unions representing employees welcomed Lewis’ departure, condemning his legacy as the “attempted destruction of a great American journalism institution” and urging owner Jeff Bezos to reverse course.
”Will Lewis’s exit is long overdue,” the Washington Post Guild said, adding that Bezos “must immediately rescind these layoffs or sell the paper to someone willing to invest in its future.”
The last several years have been stormy for the 148-year-old newspaper, which for decades helped shape the American political landscape. Earlier this month, the WaPo announced layoffs that affected one-third of the staff, with the sports section eliminated entirely.
In early 2025, Semafor, citing internal data, reported that the WaPo’s daily active users fell from around 22.5 million in 2021 to 2.5-3 million by mid-2024. Around the same time, the Wall Street Journal reported that the WaPo’s ad revenue fell from $190 million in 2023 to $174 million in 2024.
Lewis’ tenure was also overshadowed by direction changes that alienated parts of its readership. In October 2024, the WaPo said it would not endorse a presidential candidate for the first time in 36 years. Media reports claimed that Bezos ordered leaders to pull back from the planned endorsement of Kamala Harris, breaking with the tradition of supporting Democratic candidates.
Commenting on the fragile state of the newspaper, former executive editor Martin Baron suggested that Bezos was wary of US President Donald Trump. “This is a newspaper that has prided itself on its independence, and the behavior of Jeff Bezos has suggested to the readers that he is not independent at all,” Baron said. “He’s actually dependent – dependent on Donald Trump.”