Washington Post CEO tells staff take buyout if they are not ‘aligned’ with outlet’s new direction

In the message, obtained by Fox News, Lewis described The Post as being on a "reinvention journey," citing changes like a revamped opinion section that now “champions American values.”

“If we want to reconnect with our audience and continue to defend democracy, more changes at The Post will be necessary,” Lewis wrote. “And to succeed, we need to be united as a team with a strong belief and passion in where we are heading.”

Acknowledging dissent among staff, Lewis said the voluntary separation program (VSP) is meant to provide a soft landing for those who no longer feel aligned.

“As we continue in this new direction, I want to ask those who do not feel aligned with the company’s plan to reflect on that,” he added. “The VSP helps you take that next step with more security.”

The VSP offers generous exit packages, including up to 18 months of base pay for veteran staffers and additional retirement contributions, according to documents viewed by Fox News.

The internal memo comes as the Washington Post reels from a sharp decline in both readership and subscriptions. Daily traffic has plummeted from a peak of 22.5 million users in January 2021 to just 2.5–3 million in 2024, a staggering 20 million-user drop. Revenue has fallen from $190 million to $174 million, and the company stopped reporting traffic figures publicly last year after a reported 60 percent decline.

The drop in subscribers has been tied to a pair of controversial editorial decisions by Amazon founder and Post owner Jeff Bezos. In October 2024, Bezos reportedly ordered the paper to rescind its endorsement of then–Vice President Kamala Harris just days before the presidential election. That move triggered over 300,000 subscription cancellations.

In February, Bezos announced a policy shift that editorial pages must now promote “individual liberties and free markets,” a directive that has sparked further backlash from staff and readers alike.

Veteran journalists have departed in protest. Opinion editor David Shipley resigned after failing to dissuade Bezos from altering the Post's editorial mission. Associate editor and longtime columnist Ruth Marcus stepped down after claiming her column criticizing Bezos's new policy was spiked by Lewis.

“Jeff's announcement… threatens to break the trust of readers that columnists are writing what they believe, not what the owner has deemed acceptable,” Marcus wrote in her resignation letter. “Will's decision to not run the column… underscores that the traditional freedom of columnists to select the topics they wish to address and say what they think has been dangerously eroded.”

Marcus, a 40-year veteran of the Post, added: “It breaks my heart to conclude that I must leave.” Other high-profile resignations include associate editor David Maraniss, senior managing editor Cameron Barr, and several opinion contributors.

Bezos has defended his vision in public, writing in an op-ed that ending presidential endorsements was a move to restore the paper’s credibility. “What presidential endorsements actually do is create a perception of bias. A perception of non-independence,” Bezos wrote. “Ending them is a principled decision, and it’s the right one.”

Last month, Adam O’Neal, formerly of The Economist and The Wall Street Journal, was named head of the opinion section, a clear signal of the Post’s movement toward the political center.

But the shift hasn't stemmed the bleeding. More than 75,000 digital subscribers canceled in the 48 hours following Bezos’s February announcement, adding to the growing financial and reputational woes for the “Democracy Dies in Darkness” publication. Beyond editorial realignment, the Post has also imposed in-office mandates, telling remote workers to return or resign. For Lewis, the transformation is non-negotiable. “Regardless of what you decide, I want to thank all of you for everything you have done for this organization,” he wrote. “If you believe in our next chapter, I’m excited for the work ahead of us.”