Media Confidential Does the Washington Post have a future?
Mar 30, 2026
Paul Farhi, former long-time Washington Post media reporter turned commentator. He recounts Will Lewis's hiring and abrupt exit, clashes over newsroom culture and British hires, controversial vetting and interviews, the mass layoffs and buyouts, and how editorial choices and Bezos-era decisions led to huge subscription losses and a shaken reputation.
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Hiring Overlooked Known Red Flags
- The search committee and Patty Stonecipher proceeded with Lewis despite widespread knowledge of his Murdoch background.
- An outside firm identified him as a candidate and the team consciously took a 'flyer' on his CV.
Third Newsroom Strategy Failed Fast
- Lewis's signature plan was a 'third newsroom' focused on short video and social-first content to win younger subscribers.
- The initiative stumbled from announcement to abandonment within about seven months.
British 'Blokes' Alienated The Newsroom
- A wave of British hires dubbed 'the blokes' alienated Washington Post journalists who prized local knowledge and institutional norms.
- The outsider influx bred resentment because newcomers lacked Washington experience and Post traditions.