Washington Post Publisher Will Lewis Resigns Amid Massive Layoffs

Mon Feb 09 2026 01:08:02 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In a significant shake-up, Washington Post publisher Will Lewis steps down just days after the newspaper announced drastic staff reductions affecting a third of its workforce.

Will Lewis has resigned from his role as publisher of the Washington Post following the announcement of layoffs impacting one-third of the newspaper's staff. Jeff D’Onofrio has been appointed as acting publisher and CEO. Lewis's short tenure was characterized by significant challenges, including a failed reorganization and subscriber losses.

Washington Post publisher Will Lewis announced his resignation on Saturday, just three days after the newspaper revealed it would be laying off one-third of its workforce. In an email addressed to staff, Lewis stated that \u201cdifficult decisions have been taken in order to ensure the sustainable future of The Post.\u201d Notably absent from the layoff announcement meeting were Lewis and the company\u2019s owner, Jeff Bezos.

Following Lewis's departure, the Post's chief financial officer, Jeff D'Onofrio, has been designated as the acting publisher and CEO. D'Onofrio joined the newspaper in June 2023, and his new role comes at a tumultuous time.

Lewis, who is British-born, previously served as a high-ranking executive at The Wall Street Journal before succeeding at The Post in January 2024. His time at the publication has been described as rocky, facing early challenges including layoffs and a failed reorganization that coincided with the exit of former top editor Sally Buzbee.

Further complicating matters, the Post suffered a major drop in subscriptions when Bezos halted an anticipated endorsement of Kamala Harris during the presidential campaign, along with subsequent editorial shifts towards a more conservative stance.

The layoffs, although anticipated, were more extensive than expected. They resulted in the discontinuation of the Post's acclaimed sports section and significant cutbacks in foreign and metro coverage, alongside reducing its photographic team.