Washington Post CEO Will Lewis Resigns Amid "Bloodbath" Layoffs and Bezos Backlash

In a stunning shake-up at one of America’s most storied news institutions, publisher and CEO Will Lewis has stepped down just days after overseeing a historic purge of the newsroom.

Resignation, announced Saturday evening, comes at the end of a chaotic week for The Washington Post, which saw nearly one-third of its staff laid off in a move that has drawn fierce criticism toward billionaire owner Jeff Bezos. Lewis, whose two-year tenure was marked by financial struggles and internal friction, stated in a brief memo that "now is the right time for me to step aside."

A "Dark Day" for Journalism

The chaos began on Wednesday when staff were notified of massive cuts via a mandatory Zoom call—a meeting Lewis notably did not lead. The restructuring has been described by insiders as a "bloodbath," resulting in the termination of over 300 journalists.

The cuts have gutted entire departments, signaling a retreat from the paper’s global ambitions:

• Sports Desk: Entirely eliminated.

• International Bureaus: The Middle East team and Kyiv correspondent were let go, effectively ending on-the-ground coverage in key conflict zones.

• Culture: The renowned "Books" section has been shut down.

This ranks among the darkest days in the history of one of the world's greatest news organizations," wrote former executive editor Marty Baron on social media.

"Absentee" CEO and the Super Bowl Scandal

Lewis’s departure appears to have been accelerated by a crisis of confidence within the newsroom. Staff anger reached a boiling point when, just hours after the layoffs were announced, Lewis was photographed walking a red carpet at a Super Bowl event in California.

His absence during the difficult announcement, coupled with his public appearance at a party while colleagues were packing their desks, was viewed by many as a final betrayal of leadership.

Bezos Under Fire

While Lewis is out, the spotlight has turned harshly on Jeff Bezos. The Amazon founder, who bought the paper in 2013, faced a barrage of open letters from staff pleading for him to intervene and stop the cuts. His silence has been deafening.

Critics, including Senator Elizabeth Warren, have pointed out the stark contrast between Bezos’s $250 billion fortuneand the decision to slash jobs to save costs. "A newsroom cannot be hollowed out without consequences for its credibility," the Post’s guild warned in a statement.

What’s Next?

Jeff D'Onofrio, the paper’s Chief Financial Officer, has been named acting CEO. He faces the monumental task of rebuilding morale in a fractured newsroom while navigating the "sustainable future" the ownership claims to be chasing. For now, the "Democracy Dies in Darkness" slogan feels uncomfortably real for the journalists left behind.