Inside Will Lewis's Tumultuous Two Years as Publisher of the Washington Post
Before the sweeping layoffs and abrupt resignation of publisher Will Lewis, his tenure at the Washington Post was defined by controversy and frequent clashes with staff. Standing on the seventh floor of the Post's open newsroom on June 3, 2024, Lewis delivered a blunt message to the organization he had led for five months, highlighting financial struggles and declining readership.
Lewis, a veteran of Rupert Murdoch's media empire, replaced Fred Ryan, who had overseen profitable years during the first Trump administration but faced staff discontent after a 2022 town hall. "We are going to turn this thing around, but let's not sugarcoat it: it needs turning around," Lewis said. "We are losing large amounts of money. Your audience has halved in recent years. People are not reading your stuff."
This address proved to be one of the few times Lewis spoke to the entire company. On a Saturday evening, the 56-year-old abruptly announced his resignation, just three days after the Post cut nearly a third of its staff in one of the largest layoffs in US media history. Instead of steering the Post toward financial stability, Lewis's two years were marred by controversy, staff conflicts, and jargon-heavy initiatives that yielded little progress.
Staff Backlash and Super Bowl Controversy
Anger over the layoffs was primarily directed at Lewis and billionaire owner Jeff Bezos. While Lewis nominally ran the company, top editor Matt Murray delivered the news via an early morning Zoom meeting. Lewis was absent from this meeting but was spotted a day later at Super Bowl pre-game festivities, noted by a former Post sports reporter after he dismantled the sports section.
"I was surprised by the timing. I was not surprised by the outcome," said Ruth Marcus, a Post columnist who resigned in March 2025 after 40 years. Many employees celebrated Lewis's departure with digital messages, with one longtime staff writer describing him as seeming to hate the job and the staff from the start.
The Financial Times reported that senior management was "livid" about Lewis's Super Bowl appearance, criticizing the optics amid layoffs. However, some staffers pointed out that Bezos had previously shown little concern for optics, such as hosting a foam party on a $500 million yacht before his wedding in Venice.
Early Optimism and Growing Discontent
Initially, some staffers, including Marcus, were encouraged by Lewis's appointment in November 2023. She recalled receiving personal emails from him complimenting her columns. "I was initially well-disposed toward him – until I wasn't," she said. Sally Quinn, a former Post writer, welcomed Lewis to Washington DC and found him charming and smart, but communication ceased after he faced blowback for ousting executive editor Sally Buzbee in early June 2024.
Lewis's past also posed challenges. Before assuming the role, he declined to comment on allegations of involvement in covering up a hacking scandal at Murdoch's UK publications, though no wrongdoing was found. These ties continued to dog him, with accusations of infringing on Post coverage of a lawsuit by Prince Harry against Murdoch's operation.
Failed Initiatives and Leadership Clashes
To address conflicts of interest, the Post assigned former managing editor Cameron Barr to oversee investigative coverage of Lewis and his pick to replace Buzbee, Robert Winnett. Barr described Lewis's tenure as "ineffective," noting that none of his initiatives succeeded in turning around the Post's finances. Winnett's appointment proved disastrous, with his career scrutinized and him ultimately remaining at the Telegraph.
Lewis clashed with respected reporters like Pulitzer winner Carol Leonnig, who criticized his leadership on social media. As business floundered into early 2025, staffers lashed out over events like an ostentatious brunch and Lewis's absence from Pulitzer celebrations. He also rebuffed union efforts for a town hall, instead interviewing Bill Gates in Davos amid layoff anxiety.
Abrupt Departure and Legacy
Just days before his resignation, Murray defended Lewis in a Fox News interview, citing his engagement on issues. In November 2023, Bezos had praised Lewis's tenacity and vision, but in rare public remarks after the departure, Bezos only commended other executives, saying nothing about Lewis. In a terse email, Lewis thanked Bezos and affirmed the Post's strong ownership, amid calls for Bezos to sell the paper.
Lewis's tenure leaves a legacy of turmoil at one of the world's most storied journalistic institutions, marked by financial struggles, staff disillusionment, and unresolved questions about his leadership and timing of exit.
