William Lewis named publisher and CEO of The Washington Post
Media veteran William Lewis has been named publisher and CEO of American daily newspaper The Washington Post.
Lewis will lead one of the nation's most storied media outlets at a time of change for American journalism and the Washington Post. He will begin his duties on January 2, 2024.
“Leading this bold media brand means building on my commitment to supporting high-quality journalism and defending our democratic values, while growing The Post’s business and extending its influence to the next generation and beyond,” Lewis said in a statement.
In particular, where layoffs, declining readership and high costs have undermined morale.
Lewis, founder, CEO and publisher of The News Movement targeting Gen Z, is the former CEO of Dow Jones and publisher of the Wall Street Journal.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos bought the Washington Post in 2013, and the paper's traffic soared immediately afterward, especially after former President Donald Trump took office.
But the newspaper in the nation's capital has struggled to maintain readership in the post-Trump era. Like much of the news industry, the Washington Post has faced a reckoning as Americans' reading habits have changed in recent years.
Interim chief executive Patty Stonecipher previously told staff that the newspaper had "overspent" under former CEO Fred Ryan.
She also said the publication's readership has plummeted since Trump left the White House, with its digital audience down a staggering 28% since 2021. Digital subscriptions, Stonecipher added, fell 15%.
Previous publisher and chief executive Fred Ryan announced in June that he was resigning after nearly a decade at the helm of the Washington Post.
While he helped the paper win more than a dozen Pulitzers and industry-wide recognition, he also alienated much of the newsroom late last year when he abruptly announced layoffs.
“Ten years ago, I made a commitment to the future of The Washington Post, inspired by its ambitious and consistent journalism,” Bezos said in a statement. “Today, I am confident in that future, knowing it is in the hands of Will, an exceptional and tenacious industry leader whose track record of hard-hitting, award-winning journalism makes him the right leader at the right time.”
ORIENT news
