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Time of India
13-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
WaPo turmoil deepens: Jeff Bezos appointed CEO Will Lewis vanishes from newsroom, staff cite concerns over his absence and alleged drinking habits
The Washington Post is experiencing internal chaos as employees increasingly worry about their CEO. Will Lewis , hired by Jeff Bezos , has been almost entirely absent from the newsroom, sparking concern and fueling internal tension. Reports also highlight increasing concern regarding Lewis' drinking problem and mercurial leadership style. Tensions are mounting as morale collapses and newsroom departures accelerate, with employees pointing to a lack of transparency and erratic decision-making. 5 5 Next Stay Playback speed 1x Normal Back 0.25x 0.5x 1x Normal 1.5x 2x 5 5 / Skip Ads by by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play War Thunder now for free War Thunder Play Now Undo Where has CEO Will Lewis been? Will Lewis, the former Rupert Murdoch acolyte whom Bezos appointed in late 2023, has been in what the magazine called a "state of hiding" since last June, according to several Post employees who spoke to The New Yorker. A former senior editor told The New Yorker, "One thing that has damaged him internally is that his drinking is widely known in the newsroom." "His employees actually make jokes about it." Live Events Will Lewis appointed Executive Editor Matt Murray to the position earlier this year, and his absence has strained his relationship with him, as per a report by the Daily Beast. ALSO READ: Air Force One 2.0: Pam Bondi reportedly plotting legal loophole to hand Donald Trump a presidential-style flying palace without violating constitution What's causing staff to lose trust in leadership? According to The New Yorker, Lewis was upset about how the Post reported on his own scandal-plagued time there. Since then, the Post has largely stopped reporting on itself. The former senior editor told The New Yorker that Will Lewis was upset with Matt Murray for the Post's coverage and wouldn't talk to Matt for a period of time. Lewis' absence is a recurring theme in The New Yorker's in-depth analysis of the Post's turmoil, which detailed how Bezos came in to save the publication in 2013 but has since left employees feeling devastated and discouraged. In response to a request for comment, The Post said that Lewis has "tremendous respect and appreciation for his colleagues" and denied to The New Yorker that he and Murray had a falling out. The controversial decisions have alienated staff members, and Bezos has not visited the paper since before the election. Dozens of Post reporters have fled to CNN, The Atlantic, and The New York Times since October, as per a report by the Daily Beast. Last week, the Post's D.C. newsroom, under Murray's leadership, celebrated its numerous Pulitzer Prize victories. The New Yorker reported that Lewis failed to appear, which Murray explained away as a well-planned trip. Lewis did not attend the paper's annual Eugene Meyer Awards late last year, suggesting that Bezos's detached approach has also extended to his CEO. Rather, he praised the paper's recent achievements despite its layoffs while hosting a private dinner for award recipients in January. As per The New Yorker, Lewis has since made fun of his employees in meetings and asserted that they "needed to be disciplined." FAQs Why are Washington Post employees unhappy with CEO Will Lewis? Many people point to his extended absence, poor communication, and rumours about his drinking. Has Jeff Bezos addressed any internal issues at the Post? No, Jeff Bezos hasn't visited the newsroom in months and has been largely silent.
New York Post
12-05-2025
- Business
- New York Post
Washington Post CEO Will Lewis ‘in hiding' from newsroom as morale sinks and staffers ‘joke' about his drinking: report
Washington Post CEO and publisher Will Lewis has reportedly gone into a 'state of hiding' as fury within the newsroom grows over the massive overhaul by the paper's owner, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Lewis, who took the reins of the Beltway broadsheet in 2023, has been noticeably absent since last June, several Washington Post staffers told The New Yorker in a lengthy feature published on Monday. Staffers — already frustrated by an exodus sparked by Bezos' decision to kill an endorsement of Kamala Harris shortly before the election — also told the outlet that they had concerns about the British-born Lewis' drinking. Advertisement 'One thing that has damaged him internally is that his drinking is widely known in the newsroom,' a former senior editor claimed. 'It's literally something his employees joke about.' 5 Washington Post CEO and publisher has been absent in the newsroom, according to frustrated staffers. The Washington Post via Getty Images The absence of Lewis — who previously served as CEO of the Wall Street Journal — has fractured his relationship with executive editor Matt Murray, whom he appointed to the job earlier this year, the report said. Advertisement Part of the discord was related to how the newspaper covered his own volatile tenure at the paper, The New Yorker said. The publication has since mostly stopped covering itself. 'I know Will [Lewis] was very upset with Matt [Murray] for the (Washington) Post's coverage and for some period of time wouldn't talk to Matt,' the former senior editor told The New Yorker. Last week, Lewis skipped celebrating the paper's multiple Pulitzer Prize wins at its DC newsroom, which was led by Murray, according to The New Yorker. Lewis' absence was attributed by Murray to a long-planned trip. Advertisement 5 Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who owns the newspaper, has led the outlet's change in direction. GC Images A rep for the Washington Post denied that Lewis and Murray had a falling out. When asked about Lewis' absence, the spokesperson told The Post that the exec respects the line of the newsroom but regularly attends news and opinion meetings. The rep did not address Lewis' alleged drinking. Advertisement 5 Staffers griped to The New Yorker about Lewis' drinking and said that morale was low after the sweeping changes at the paper. AP Late last year, Lewis had raised eyebrows when he ditched the paper's annual Eugene Meyer Awards. Instead, he hosted a private dinner for award recipients in January — though he skipped the cocktail hour, the New Yorker reported. At the dinner, Lewis praised the the paper's recent accomplishments even as he laid off nearly 100 people that month. Don Graham, the 80-year-old son of former Post publisher and icon Katharine Graham, spoke out during the private dinner in an unusual unscripted moment. After outlining the Meyer Awards' history, Graham said morale was low at the paper. Lewis reportedly kept his gaze fixed on his place setting. 5 A rep for the Washington Post denied that executive editor Matt Murray (above) and Lewis (seated) have had a falling out. The Washington Post via Getty Images 'It was such a wild moment,' an attendee told the magazine. In March, Lewis, Bezos and Murray were MIA at the the premiere of 'Becoming Katharine Graham' at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. Another person who spoke to The New Yorker said that morale has continued to be low and added that Lewis and his top deputies speak of the newsroom with 'vitriol.' Advertisement They were constantly infantilizing them and constantly talking about how they needed to be disciplined,' the person said. A spokesperson for the newspaper denied the claim and said Lewis has 'tremendous' respect and appreciation for his colleagues. 5 Murray said Lewis' absence from the Pultizer ceremony was due to the CEO's travel schedule. via REUTERS Lewis has faced backlash from staffers over Bezos' edict to move the paper's left-leaning coverage more to the center, including a move to hire more right-leaning voices. Bezos also drew scorn after announcing the opinions section would be devoted to advocating for 'personal liberties' and 'free markets.' Advertisement The changes have sparked defections from a slew of editors, reporters and columnists. David Shipley, the newspaper's opinion editor, resigned and more than 75,000 readers canceled their subscriptions in protest. In January, more than 400 Washington Post journalists sent an angry letter to Bezos, pleading with him to intervene on the paper's direction to restore the 'trust that has been lost.'
