William Lewis, publisher of The Washington Post, introduces the paper’s new top editor to a “deeply skeptical staff,” reports NPR
The publisher of The Washington Post introduced the paper’s new top editor to “a deeply skeptical staff that peppered him with questions about strategy, timing, and cronyism,” reports NPR.
According to the NPR post, William Lewis, above, who became the Post’s publisher and chief executive in January, “forced out Executive Editor Sally Buzbee.”
In internal memos and press releases, continued NPR, “Lewis unveiled a new, bifurcated structure for the newsroom to be led by former colleagues from the Telegraph in the U.K. and The Wall Street Journal.
“At a turbulent staff meeting Monday, Lewis said it would be “nuts” to continue doing business as it has been done. He pointed to the losses the paper has endured of late — $77 million last year, by his account, leading to layoffs of nearly 13% of staff during 2023.”
“We are going to turn this thing around, but let’s not sugarcoat it: it needs turning around,” Lewis said. “We are losing large amounts of money. Your audience is halved. People are not reading your stuff. I can’t sugarcoat it anymore.”
Matt Murray will lead The Washington Post newsroom through the general election in November, and then shift to run new editorial ventures at the paper. Murray worked for 29 years at The Wall Street Journal, the last five as Editor in Chief, where he led a 1,300-person newsroom.
More here.
