Which Washington Post publisher resigned days after the massive February 2026 layoffs?

The Washington Post saw the resignation of its publisher and CEO, Will Lewis, just days after the newspaper enacted significant layoffs in February 2026. Lewis announced his departure in an email to staff on Saturday, February 7, 2026, stating that "after two years of transformation" it was "the right time for me to step aside." His exit followed intense scrutiny and internal criticism regarding the handling of the substantial workforce reduction.

Lewis had taken on the role of publisher in November 2023, officially starting in January 2024, with a mandate from owner Jeff Bezos to make the storied publication financially sustainable. His tenure was marked by efforts to restructure the newsroom and address declining readership and financial challenges. The February 2026 layoffs, which were announced on February 4, were a drastic measure, impacting approximately one-third of the Post's total workforce, including over 300 journalists. Entire sections, such as the sports department and books section, were eliminated, and foreign news coverage was significantly scaled back.

The timing and scale of the layoffs, coupled with Lewis's perceived absence from the all-staff meeting where the cuts were announced, fueled discontent among employees. Critics within the newsroom and the union representing Post employees voiced strong disapproval of his leadership, arguing that the cuts would damage the paper's journalistic mission. Lewis's resignation, therefore, came at a tumultuous period, highlighting the ongoing struggles faced by traditional media outlets in adapting to a rapidly changing digital landscape.