A week after the Washington Post laid off more than 300 journalists, acting CEO Jeff D’Onofrio told staff that he’s “going to fight like hell for this institution,” according to Post sources.
D’Onofrio, who addressed staff at a Wednesday newsroom town hall with executive editor Matt Murray, defended the severe cuts as necessary and urged staff to come together to work on solutions going forward. “There can only be us,” he said.
During a Q&A portion, Murray faced pointed questions, including how to trust senior leaders and regarding the the Kamala Harris endorsement debacle. He was also pressed for details on the company’s stated goals in the face of widespread layoffs. While staffers appreciated Murray taking questions, his answers didn’t necessarily satisfy concerns or inspire the newsroom, according to sources.
The massive cuts, which gutted the foreign and metro desks, and eliminated the sports and books sections, fueled questions about owner Jeff Bezos’ commitment to the paper and and its stewardship under now-former CEO Will Lewis.
Lewis, who was conspicuously absent from last week’s grim announcement, but was spotted the following day at a pre-Super Bowl event in San Francisco, stepped down on Saturday. D’Onofrio, a former Tumblr CEO who joined the Post in June as chief financial officer, as named acting CEO.
Bezos didn’t comment until Saturday alongside news of Lewis’ exit, in which he said the Post “has an essential journalistic mission” and that the “data tells us what is valuable and where to focus.”
Murray, at one point, told staff that following data does not mean setting aside journalism, according to a source.
Murray was also asked about Bezos and Lewis’ actions having led to “some of our problems,” according to Semafor’s Max Tani. (Management’s decision to spike its Harris endorsement led to hundreds of thousands of subscribers canceling.) “The non-endorsement was an event, but the problems go beyond” it, Murray said.
