Washington Post publisher Will Lewis is stepping down after a turbulent two-year tenure marked by significant layoffs and internal turmoil. His departure follows the newspaper’s announcement of eliminating one-third of its staff, including its sports section and photography team. These cutbacks, coupled with past subscriber losses and ethical concerns surrounding Lewis and his initially chosen successor, have drawn criticism from former editors and the Post’s union. Chief financial officer Jeff D’Onofrio has been named temporary publisher amidst calls for owner Jeff Bezos to increase investment or sell the publication.
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Newly released court documents reveal that former detectives involved in the 2011 Operation Weeting investigation into News Group Newspapers (NGN) phone hacking allege NGN actively obstructed the inquiry. Two detectives stated that NGN’s Will Lewis, now Washington Post CEO, could have faced arrest for perverting the course of justice due to his involvement in the deletion of millions of emails. While NGN denies wrongdoing and the Crown Prosecution Service found insufficient evidence for charges in 2015, these claims emerged during a settled phone-hacking lawsuit against NGN by Prince Harry and Tom Watson. The detectives’ accusations, however, remain a point of contention, with NGN maintaining that the email deletions were for legitimate reasons unrelated to the police investigation.
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John Q. Hosedrinker