The Washington Post announced Saturday that publisher and CEO Will Lewis resigned — just three days after the outlet laid off hundreds of its employees.
The Washington Post confirmed in a statement posted to X that Lewis, who had served in the dual role since January 2024, had already been succeeded in an acting capacity by Chief Financial Officer Jeff D’Onofrio, “effective immediately.” The statement did not mention the layoffs or elaborate on the circumstances surrounding Lewis’s exit.
“The Post’s resolute commitment to writing the first rough draft of history anchors and imprints its future,” D’Onofrio, the former CEO of microblogging platform Tumblr, said in the statement. “I am honored to become part of charting that future and to take the lead in securing both the legacy and business of this fierce, storied American institution.”
The publication’s owner, billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, said in the same statement that The Washington Post “has an essential journalistic mission and an extraordinary opportunity.”
“Each and every day our readers give us a roadmap to success. The data tells us what is valuable and where to focus,” Bezos continued.
The outlet did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
The Washington Post is announcing Jeff D’Onofrio as its acting Publisher and CEO, effective immediately. pic.twitter.com/38eGFkSXjL
— Washington Post Communications (@WashPostComms) February 7, 2026
“[A]fter two years of transformation at The Washington Post, now is the right time for me to step aside,” Lewis wrote in a memo to staff, according to multiple outlets. “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.”
“During my tenure, difficult decisions have been taken in order to ensure the sustainable future of The Post so it can for many years ahead publish high-quality nonpartisan news to millions of customers each day,” the departing publisher and CEO continued.
“We are ending a hard week of change with more change,” D’Onofrio wrote in a separate memo sent to staff. “This is a challenging time across all media organizations, and The Post is unfortunately no exception. I’ve had the privilege of helping chart the course of disrupters and cultural stalwarts alike.”
“Customer data will drive our decisions, sharpening our edge in delivering what is most valuable to our audiences,” he continued.
Will Lewis just sent a note to staff at The Washington Post announcing that he is stepping down as publisher. pic.twitter.com/hNTf6wyrDk
— Matt Viser (@mviser) February 7, 2026
The publication laid off about a third of its employees Wednesday, eliminating entire sections and bureaus. Notably, Ukraine correspondent Lizzie Johnson confirmed on X she was one of those laid off, writing in a viral post that she found out she lost her job while “in the middle of a warzone.”
“I have no words. I’m devastated,” Johnson added in the post which received nearly a quarter million “likes” on X in just three days.
The Washington Post Guild, a union which represents the outlet’s employees, slammed the layoffs and called them “not inevitable” in a statement posted Wednesday to X.
“A newsroom cannot be hollowed out without consequences of its credibility, its reach and its future,” the union’s statement reads. “Continuing to eliminate workers only stands to weaken the newspaper, drive away readers and undercut The Post’s mission: to hold power to account without fear or factor and provide critical information for communities across the region, country and world.”
Members of the outlet’s tech union, the Washington Post Tech Guild, notably hung up flyers throughout Lewis’s Washington neighborhood the day after the layoffs took effect. Each of the flyers featured a picture of Lewis, his name and title, and the phrase “wanted for destroying The Washington Post.” The flyers also contained quick response (QR) codes enabling members of the public to petition the outlet’s management to stop the layoffs.
Lewis was reportedly seen Thursday at a pre-Super Bowl red carpet event in San Francisco. It was not immediately clear if he would continue to support the outlet in any leadership position after his resignation.
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