Leadership Change Announced
The Washington Post said its chief executive William Lewis is stepping down, days after overseeing large job cuts, with the newspaper saying the move comes after what Lewis described as difficult decisions aimed at securing the paper’s future.
Lewis told staff it was the right time to leave and said the choices made were intended to protect the newspaper. The Post said Jeff D’Onofrio, who joined last year as chief financial officer, will serve as acting publisher and chief executive.
Lewis, a former Dow Jones chief executive and former publisher of the Wall Street Journal, was appointed to lead the Washington Post in 2023. He has faced criticism from subscribers and employees as he sought to reverse financial losses at the paper.
Layoffs And Reaction
The newspaper announced on Wednesday that it would cut a third of its workforce, sharply reducing coverage of sport and international news. Executive editor Matt Murray said the cuts would bring stability.
The decision drew condemnation from many journalists and renewed criticism of the paper’s owner, Jeff Bezos. Hundreds of people protested outside the Post’s headquarters in Washington DC on Thursday. Those affected by the cuts include the paper’s entire Middle East staff and its Kyiv-based correspondent in Ukraine.
Marty Baron, who served as the Post’s executive editor until 2021, said the reductions ranked among the darkest days in the history of the newspaper.
Support Funds For Staff
A GoFundMe page has been created to support international employees who were hired locally or through subsidiaries outside the United States and are not covered by the protections of the Washington Post Guild. Organiser Michelle Lee wrote that some of those laid off include reporters in war zones, editors in Seoul and London, and local staff whose work supports international coverage.
She wrote that many of those affected face sudden risks to housing, visas, or benefits. The page had raised more than $180,000 out of a $200,000 target by Sunday evening.
A separate GoFundMe page organised by the guild for US staff has already raised more than $500,000.
Recent Editorial And Ownership Decisions
The departure of Lewis follows a period of upheaval for the newspaper that has included staff cuts and disputed editorial choices. Shortly before the 2024 US presidential election, Bezos decided the paper would not endorse a candidate, breaking with a practice that had seen endorsements in most elections since the 1970s, all for Democratic candidates. The decision drew criticism and was followed by the loss of tens of thousands of subscribers.
In February last year, the opinion editor resigned after Bezos said the comment section would focus on personal liberties and free markets and that pieces opposing those views would not be published. Bezos acquired the Washington Post in 2013.
Featured image credits: Flickr
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