Washington Post CEO Will Lewis resigns abruptly. What he said about Jeff Bezos in email to staff

Will Lewis, the publisher and CEO of The Washington Post, has announced his resignation. Read the full text of his email to staff.

Will Lewis, the publisher and CEO of The Washington Post, has announced his resignation. Lewis, 56, informed the staff of his decision to step down in an internal email Saturday. His resignation comes just days after the legendary newspaper cut one-third of its workforce in mass layoffs that affected almost every department.

FILE - Will Lewis has resigned from his position as publisher and CEO of The Washington Post. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post via AP, File) (AP)

In his email to staff announcing his resignation, Lewis thanked The Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos for his support.

Full text of Will Lewis’s email

All - after two years of transformation at The Washington Post, now is the right time for me to step aside. I want to thank Jeff Bezos for his support and leadership throughout my tenure as CEO and Publisher. The institution could not have a better owner.

During my tenure, difficult decisions have been taken in order to ensure the sustainable future of The Post so it can for many years ahead publish high-quality nonpartisan news to millions of customers each day.

With gratitude, Will

Internet reacts

A screenshot of the email was shared on social media platform X by Matt Viser, the White House bureau chief at The Washington Post.

“Will Lewis just sent a note to staff at The Washington Post announcing that he is stepping down as publisher,” he wrote.

The resignation letter sparked a flurry of reactions.

“Compliments the owner but not a single word for his staff. The opposite of a servant leader,” wrote one X user.

“Very telling he says the word customers and not readers,” another said.

“They never taught him that passive voice is bad?” one person wondered.

“He had nothing to say, not even a subject for the email. He cashed in and vanished into the night,” an X user added.

Who is Will Lewis?

Will Lewis, 56, is a British journalist and media executive who was appointed CEO and publisher of The Washington Post in 2023.

Before he joined the Post, Lewis had a long career in journalism and media management in the United Kingdom and the U.S. He has held leadership roles at Dow Jones & Company and The Wall Street Journal. Before his shift to US media outlets, he had held senior editorial positions at prominent UK tabloids.

His resignation comes just three days after the Post repositioned the financially struggling publication and laid off about one-third of its workforce, citing cost-cutting measures.