Washington Post names veteran executive as publisher and CEO

The Washington Post has named veteran media executive Will Lewis (left) to serve as its new CEO and publisher, hoping to turn around a recent slump that has seen job cuts and a declining audience. Lewis is the former top executive at the Wall Street Journal and lately founder of a startup that tries to deliver news to young people. Post owner Jeff Bezos announced the appointment in an email to staff shortly before 8:30 Saturday night, after The New York Times published the news. Lewis, 54 and British born, began as a reporter and moved into management, first at the Daily Telegraph in England. He worked for Rupert Murdoch at News Corp. for a decade. The Post exploded in popularity during the Trump administration but recently has faced the same economic troubles as much of the news industry. It has gone through rounds of layoffs, shuttered its Sunday magazine, and last month said it would offer 240 voluntary buyouts to its staff. Outgoing interim CEO Patty Stonesifer said that during a recent period of growth, the newspaper spent more than it could afford because financial projections were too optimistic. The Post has 2.5 million digital subscribers, a drop of more than 15 percent since news magnet 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. Lewis will assume the role at the Post effective Jan. 2, succeeding Stonesifer, who came on when Fred Ryan stepped down earlier this year after nearly a decade in the job. Stonesifer was formerly chief executive of the Gates Foundation and a member of the Amazon board. The Post newsroom is led by Sally Buzbee, its executive editor.