Will Lewis stepped down Saturday as CEO and writer of the Washington Publish following a rocky two-year tenure and amid widespread criticism for failing to handle employees Wednesday as the corporate laid off a 3rd of its workers, together with greater than 300 journalists.
“After two years of transformation at The Washington Publish, now could be the proper time for me to step apart,” Lewis wrote to employees in a memo. “I need to thank Jeff Bezos for his help and management all through my tenure as CEO and Writer. The establishment couldn’t have a greater proprietor.”
The paper’s chief monetary officer, Jeff D’Onofrio, has been named interim CEO and writer. D’Onofrio, a former chief government at Tumblr, joined the paper final June.
In his first assertion since final week’s layoffs, Bezos mentioned the Publish “has an important journalistic mission and a rare alternative” and that the paper can be effectively served by D’Onofrio, government editor Matt Murray and opinion editor Adam O’Neal. He didn’t point out Lewis.
“Each day our readers give us a roadmap to success. The info tells us what is effective and the place to focus,” Bezos added. “Jeff, together with Matt and Adam, are positioned to steer The Publish into an thrilling and thriving subsequent chapter.”
Murray introduced the widespread layoffs — which noticed the sports activities and books sections lower and the gutting of the overseas, metro and humanities sections — in an early-morning Zoom name on Wednesday. Lewis didn’t take part within the Zoom name as he had “plenty of issues to are inclined to,” Murray informed Fox Information on Wednesday.
Nonetheless, Athletic reporter and Publish sports activities alum Nicki Jhabvala posted a photograph of Lewis at Thursday’s NFL Honors award present in San Francisco forward of the Tremendous Bowl. The photograph drew widespread criticism from present and former Publish staffers.
Lewis’ arrival in 2024 adopted the Publish having gone via rounds of layoffs, buyouts and clashes between administration and the paper’s unionand because the paper reportedly misplaced $100 million the earlier yr.
A former Rupert Murdoch government who served because the writer of the Wall Road Journal, Lewis informed the Publish’s media workforce in an interview after his hiring announcement that the paper would “develop once more” and “get that confidence again and that swagger again.”
However his two-year tenure was marred by controversy. Lewis mentioned in June 2024 that then-executive editor Sally Buzbee would depart the paper, weeks after he reportedly spoke to her in regards to the paper’s protection of a lawsuit involving his alleged position in protecting up a phone-hacking scandal at Murdoch’s U.Okay. papers. (Lewis has lengthy denied the allegations.) Lewis additionally promised an unique interview with NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik if he dropped a narrative on the allegations. Folkenflik declined, and Lewis then claimed to the Publish that Folkenflik was extra “an activist, not a journalist.”
Lewis then appointed Murray as interim government editor forward of the 2024 election, after which former Telegraph editor and Lewis colleague Robert Winnett would exchange him. Murray would then transition to steer a “third newsroom” targeted on social media and repair journalism, considered one of Lewis’ signature concepts to attempt to enhance the paper’s monetary prospects. However Winnett determined to not be part of the paper after media protection, together with some by the Publish’s media desk, scrutinized his moral practices as a U.Okay. journalist.
Lots of his plans to spice up the paper’s funds by no means took off. The paper laid off roughly 100 enterprise staffers final yr and instituted one other spherical of buyouts, and the third newsroom, later named “WP Ventures,” didn’t achieve a lot traction. A number of prime reporters, editors and executives — together with the top of WP Ventures — additionally took buyouts or left for jobs on the Atlantic, the New York Instances and the Journal, amongst different organizations.
Lewis acquired off on the incorrect foot with Publish workers, telling them that “individuals are not studying your stuff.” After Winnett withdrew from becoming a member of the Publish, Lewis went into what a number of staffers informed the New Yorker was “a state of hiding.”
A number of Publish staffers who spoke to TheWrap celebrated Lewis’ departure, with one saying it was “actually nice he lastly left.”
“It leaves some small hope that we’ve hit all-time low,” one other Publish staffer mentioned. “However I’ve thought that earlier than.”
The Publish Guild, the paper’s union, mentioned in a assertion that Lewis’ departure was “lengthy overdue” and accused him of “the tried destruction of an incredible American journalism establishment.”
“It’s not too late to avoid wasting The Publish,” it mentioned. “Jeff Bezos should instantly rescind these layoffs or promote the paper to somebody prepared to spend money on its future.”
D’Onofrio acknowledged the “exhausting week of change” on the paper in a be aware to staffers on Saturday, and he mentioned the paper beneath his management would pair its “uncompromising, fearless journalism” with “constructing a sustainable enterprise.”
“I’m honored to take the helm as performing Writer and CEO to steer us right into a sustainable, profitable future with the energy of our journalism as our north star,” D’Onofrio wrote. “I look ahead to working shoulder to shoulder with all of you to make that occur.”
Michael Calderone contributed to this report.
