Unexpected resignation at the top of the Washington Post: Jeff Bezos changes leadership just days after a third of the newsroom was cut
A protester holds a cropped photo of Jeff Bezos' face outside the Washington Post headquarters after a mass layoff, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, in Washington. Credit line: Allison Robbert / AP / Profimedia
Washington Post CEO Will Lewis has resigned unexpectedly after Jeff Bezos' newspaper laid off 300 journalists. The newsroom received the news with enthusiasm, amid complaints about his failure to turn around the publication, according to CNN.
“After two years of transformation at The Washington Post, now is the right time for me to step down,” Lewis wrote in a brief note to staff on Saturday. “I want to thank Jeff Bezos for his support and leadership during my tenure as CEO and publisher. The institution could not have a better owner.”
Will Lewis explained that he had made difficult decisions during his tenure to ensure the publication's sustainable future and its ability to deliver unbiased news to millions of readers every day.
The publication announced that Jeff D'Onofrio, Tumblr's former chief executive, will take over as interim publisher and CEO effective immediately. D'Onofrio, who joined the team in June, told employees that he is honored to lead the institution to a successful future, with the value of journalism from the renowned American daily as a reference point.
“The Post has an essential journalistic mission and an extraordinary opportunity,” said Jeff Bezos, in his first public intervention since the wave of layoffs. The newspaper's owner pointed out that readers provide a road map to success every day, and data analysis points to valuable directions for the publication to focus on.
D'Onofrio, along with executive editor Matt Murray and opinion editor Adam O'Neal, “are poised to lead The Post into an exciting and prosperous new chapter,” Bezos said.
The unusual announcement Saturday night did not provide for a transition period under Lewis' watch, which confirms an immediate break from the publication, writes CNN. He had already lost the trust of the team, and employees described the atmosphere during the layoffs as unbearable.
Outrage peaked on Thursday when Lewis appeared on the red carpet at a lavish pre-Super Bowl event in San Francisco, while the newsroom had received no official explanation from him after Wednesday's restructuring.
Beyond the financial crisis, analysts suggest that Jeff Bezos is no longer just trying to save the newspaper through these restructurings, but rather to survive politically in the context of Donald Trump's return to the White House.
