Reporters from the Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post advocate for a leadership shift, as questions about the publisher's oversight arise.
"David Maraniss, an associate editor at The Post for nearly five decades and winner of two Pulitzer Prizes, expressed his thoughts on Facebook about the current state with the newspaper's publisher and apparent new editor. According to him, most people at The Post view the situation as untenable, with only a tiny fraction of individuals possibly holding a different view.
Maraniss also took a dig at Jeff Bezos, the Post's billionaire owner who appointed Lewis, stating that Bezos fails to comprehend the newspaper if he truly supports it.
Scott Higham, another Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist at The Post, echoed Maraniss' call for Lewis to step down.
"Lewis needs to resign for the betterment of The Post and the public," Higham commented on Maraniss' post. "He's lost the newsroom and will never regain its trust."
The Post and Bezos' representatives have yet to respond.
The criticism from The Post's journalists comes after concerns were raised about Lewis, who has been the subject of several damaging reports recently.
The New York Times reported over the weekend that Lewis, while working in Fleet Street, assigned an article based on stolen phone records. The Post itself published a 3,000-word front page expose on Sunday, revealing that a thief with ties to Lewis' hand-picked incoming top editor, Robert Winnett, had used deceptive tactics to obtain private material.
These reports, which stirred up a storm in The Post's newsroom, followed claims that Lewis tried to suppress stories at The Post and NPR about his role in cleaning up Rupert Murdoch's UK phone hacking scandal.
In response to the reports earlier this month, Lewis initially responded aggressively, blaming his media reporters and attacking veteran NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik. He later sent a memo to staffers, adopting a noticeably different tone. However, the memo did little to address the mounting disapproval within the newspaper's staff.
Within The Post's newsroom, morale has fallen sharply as staffers voice concerns about Lewis' conduct and express doubt about the newspaper's future direction. Interviews with nearly a dozen Post staffers and others familiar with the newspaper's inner workings last week showed a workforce increasingly disillusioned with the current situation, with some actively seeking employment elsewhere.
Sensing the unrest, Bezos sent a memo to top leaders at The Post on Tuesday, pledging his commitment to maintaining high journalistic standards at his newspaper.
"You have my pledge that I will stand by the quality, ethics, and principles we all hold dear," Bezos wrote.
However, the memo failed to quell the growing rebellion in the newsroom.
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, professor and senior associate dean for leadership studies at the Yale School of Management, told CNN on Monday that Bezos should dismiss Lewis.
Sonnenfeld, who has advised US presidents and numerous corporate leaders, suggested that if he were guiding Bezos, he would advise him to fire Lewis as he's lost credibility to lead and it's time for a fresh start.
"This is a disastrous collapse of American journalism's moral compass, broadcasting a disgrace to the legacy of Katharine Graham, Ben Bradlee, and Marty Baron, who represented collaboration, courage, and integrity," Sonnenfeld commented. "Bezos should appoint a seasoned, respected editor who journalists respect and trust.""
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In regards to the controversy surrounding the publisher's leadership at The Post, some business analysts argue that the situation could negatively impact the newspaper's media strategy and reputation. Furthermore, some investors might view this as a warning sign, potentially influencing their decisions regarding investments in media-related businesses.
