Leadership Change at The Washington Post

On February 7, 2026, Will Lewis resigned as publisher and chief executive of The Washington Post, days after the company enacted sweeping cuts that removed about one-third of staff, including more than 300 journalists. The reductions had been announced three days earlier and they closed several sections, such as sports and books, while international bureaus were pared back. Many employees and readers expressed shock, and the Post Guild called the move destructive to journalism. Although Lewis said difficult decisions had been taken to secure the paper’s future, criticism has been intense.

Jeff D'Onofrio, the chief financial officer, has been named interim CEO and publisher; he joined the Post in June 2025 as CFO and has prior experience in digital media. Jeff Bezos welcomed the transition and said the newspaper has an opportunity to focus on what readers value. The union urged Bezos to rescind the cuts or sell the paper, and several commentators said the changes will reshape newsroom coverage and staffing for months to come. His résumé includes roles at Tumblr, Google and Yahoo, which the Post highlighted as relevant experience. Staff reactions included online protests and calls for owner Jeff Bezos to take action.