The Washington Post has announced that former Dow Jones CEO and Wall Street Journal publisher William Lewis will succeed interim CEO Patty Stonesifer as leader of the D.C. publication.
Lewis, 54, will assume the role on Jan. 2, in a move that follows reported downsizing at the Post’s local desk and some of the steepest cuts to the paper’s staff since billionaire Amazon executive Jeff Bezos took ownership of the publication in 2013.
“Ten years ago, I made a commitment to the future of The Washington Post, inspired by its ambitious and consequential journalism. Today, I stand confident in that future knowing it is in the hands of Will, an exceptional, tenacious industry executive whose background in fierce, award-winning journalism makes him the right leader at the right time,” Bezos said in a release.
He made the announcement around 8:30 p.m. on Saturday night in an email to staff at the paper.
The announcement came after The New York Times published the news.
Lewis, a British-born former reporter who previously served as Editor for The Daily Telegraph and Business Editor of The Sunday Times, said he looks forward to leading the D.C. area’s “premier global media publisher of record.”
“Leading this bold media brand means building on my commitment to championing high-quality journalism and safeguarding our democratic values, while growing The Post’s business and advancing its impact to the next generation and beyond,” Lewis said.
The announcement follows recent reporting from The Washington Post on buyouts after the company spent more than it could afford. Roughly 1 in 4 post staffers were notified that they could take a buyout, but Post reporters Elahe Izadi and Will Sommer write that only a third of those notified will be allowed to take the offer.
The paper also shut down its Sunday magazine.
The Post has 2.5 million digital subscribers, a drop of more than 15% since Trump left office in 2021. By contrast, The New York Times counted 9.2 million digital subscribers in the middle of this year. In July, The Times reported that The Post is on track to lose about $100 million this year.
“Among the areas expected to be most affected are the Metro staff, where managers aim to trim a staff of 89 by nearly a quarter, including coverage areas such as education, transportation and social issues,” the Post reports, citing those familiar with smaller team meetings.
Lewis steps into the role after the departure of publisher Fred Ryan in August, who saw evolution, “from a primarily local print newspaper” to a global media force.
“I will always be proud to have been part of one of the most extraordinary transformations in modern media history. I feel a strong sense of urgency in my next steps to address the decline in civility and respectful dialogue in our political process,” Ryan said in a press release.
Ryan was tapped to lead the new Center on Public Civility, leaving interim CEO Patty Stonesifer, a founding CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, in his place.
She’s expected to vacate the roles after entering the Post’s masthead in June 2023.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
