Image: WION

Will Lewis Resigns After Overseeing Layoffs That Cut One-Third of Washington Post Staff

08 February, 2026.Business.39 sources

Key Takeaways

Will Lewis resigned as publisher and chief executive of The Washington Post.
He resigned days after the newspaper cut about one-third of its staff in mass layoffs.
Jeff D’Onofrio was named acting publisher and chief executive immediately following Lewis’s exit.

Washington Post leadership shakeup

Will Lewis, the publisher and CEO of The Washington Post, resigned effective Feb. 7, days after the paper carried out one of its largest newsroom restructurings that cut roughly one-third of staff.

“Washington Post publisher and chief executive officer (CEO) Will Lewis has stepped down, days after carrying out widespread layoffs across the organisation”

ABP Live English

Several outlets reported that Chief Financial Officer Jeff D'Onofrio will serve as acting publisher and CEO.

ABP Live English

News organizations framed Lewis's exit as the culmination of a turbulent two-year tenure during which the paper pursued deep cost cuts aimed at shoring up finances while shrinking major parts of its newsroom.

Newsroom layoffs overview

Reports across outlets detail the scale and specifics of the cuts.

Roughly 300 to more than 300 journalists — about one-third of the newsroom — were laid off.

Al Jazeera

Entire units were shuttered or sharply reduced, including the sports desk, the photography staff, and the Middle East team.

There were also reductions to metro and overseas coverage.

Coverage noted the Post did not disclose exact totals but cited reporting that placed losses near 300 journalists.

Reports described the shuttering of long-standing sections and bureaus.

Reactions to Lewis's exit

Reaction to Lewis's departure split along institutional and rhetorical lines.

“Will Lewis, publisher and CEO of The Washington Post, poses for a portrait in Washington, Sunday, Nov”

AP News

Unions and former editors were sharply critical, calling the cuts among the 'darkest days' and Lewis's exit 'long overdue'.

Owner Jeff Bezos and interim leadership framed the change as an opportunity to refocus and use data to guide priorities.

Multiple outlets reported the Washington Post Guild and former editor Martin Baron publicly condemned the move and urged Bezos to rescind the layoffs or sell the paper, even as Bezos praised the new leadership.

Controversies in Lewis tenure

Coverage examined Lewis's tenure and the controversies preceding his exit.

Reports indicated a failed reorganization that led to top-editor departures.

Awful Announcing

A hire was withdrawn amid ethical concerns.

A change in editorial posture preceded heavy subscriber losses.

Several outlets cited earlier decisions, such as pulling a planned 2024 endorsement, that correlated with subscriber declines and major 2024 revenue losses.

Outlets also recounted internal turmoil and earlier staff departures under Lewis's leadership.

Leadership and strategy reset

Outlets noted Jeff D'Onofrio's immediate stewardship and signaled strategy changes.

“Will Lewis speaks to the staff and employees of the Washington Post in Washington, DC on November 06, 2023”

BBC

D'Onofrio, who joined as CFO in June, has a background in digital media and said the paper will rely more on customer data to guide where it concentrates resources.