Washington Post publisher and CEO Fred Ryan announced Monday that he is stepping down from the helm of the newspaper in August.
Ryan, who oversaw The Washington Post for the past nine years shortly after Amazon founder Jeff Bezos took over, will instead head the newly formed nonpartisan Center on Public Civility at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation.
“Jeff is personally providing support through the planning and design phases of this new initiative and supports my decision to take this step,” Ryan said in a memo to Washington Post staff Monday.
Ryan said that under his leadership, the Post transitioned from a local print newspaper to a global digital publication, winning 13 Pulitzer Prize awards. In a rackthe Washington Post said it saw several years of profitability and a dramatic jump in digital subscriptions under Ryan.
But the Post has not been immune to the wider industry struggle. The newspaper has fired editors and employees from the business community in recent years.
A wave of job cuts has hit the media industry lately, in both digital and traditional newsrooms. The industry is also grappling with the rise of artificial intelligence, and newsrooms, including the Washington Post, have begun to address issues such as security, intellectual property compensation, transparency, accountability, and fairness.
In his memo, Ryan said his career transition comes because he has “a deep and growing concern about the decline of civility and respectful dialogue in our political process, on social media platforms and more broadly in our society.”
“Many of us can remember an era when people could disagree without being obnoxious. Political leaders on opposite sides of the aisle could find common ground for the good of the country,” he continued. “Today, the decline of civility has become a poisonous and corrosive force that threatens our social interactions and weakens the very foundations of our democracy. I feel a strong sense of urgency on this issue.”
While Ryan will stay on as publisher until August, Bezos said in another memo Monday that his “longtime friend and colleague” Patty Stonesifer will step in as interim CEO. Stonesifer, an Amazon board member who founded the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation after leading positions at Microsoft, will lead the search for a new CEO.
Read Fred Ryan’s memo to employees here:
Subject: Message for Washington Post colleagues
Dear Washington Post Colleagues,
Nine years ago, I was honored to be selected by Jeff Bezos as publisher and CEO of The Washington Post. Working with Jeff and the exceptional team at The Post has been an incredible and immensely satisfying experience.
Together we have created one of the most extraordinary transformations in modern media history. We have evolved from a primarily locally printed newspaper to a global digital publication. We have contributed significantly to the great team of journalists, engineers and business experts and have led The Post through several years of profitability. We’ve launched an innovative new technology platform that powers hundreds of other news sites around the world.
During this time, we have won multiple awards for exceptional journalism, including 13 Pulitzer Prizes, and have been named “The World’s Most Innovative Media Company” by Fast Company twice.
As I have shared with many of you in conversations, I am deeply and growing concerned about the decline of civility and respectful dialogue in our political process, on social media platforms and more broadly in our society. Many of us can remember an era when people could disagree without being obnoxious. Political leaders on both sides of the aisle were able to find common ground for the good of the country. Today, the decline in politeness has become a poisonous and corrosive force that threatens our social interactions and weakens the very foundations of our democracy. I feel a strong sense of urgency on this issue.
As a result, I have decided to give up my position at The Post to lead the impartial Center for Public Courtesy which is being launched by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute. Jeff personally supports the planning and design phase of this new initiative and supports my decision to take this step.
To provide guidance and counsel during this transition, I have agreed to continue as publisher of The Washington Post until August 1. Jeff will announce a new interim CEO later today. He is an exceptional person whom I hold in high esteem.
In the coming weeks and months, I look forward to spending time with all my friends and colleagues at The Post to express my deep appreciation for your many impressive contributions to our success. I am determined to lend my full support as the interim CEO charts the course of this transition and the bright future for The Post.
With my deepest appreciation to each of you,
Fred.
Read Jeff Bezos’ memo here:
Subject: message for the Washington Post team
Dear Washington Post Team,
I would like to express my deepest gratitude and appreciation to Fred for his dedicated service to The Washington Post as our publisher and CEO.
Fred has led The Post through a period of innovation, journalistic excellence and growth. His focus on the intersection of journalism and technology has benefited readers and laid the foundation for future growth.
Fred is widely respected for standing up for press freedom and the protection of journalists. In addition to launching the Press Freedom Partnership, he has been an unwavering force in his commitment to securing the release of journalists wrongly detained and an unwavering voice for accountability for those who harm them.
I am deeply grateful to Fred for his leadership and for the friendship we have developed over the years. I look forward to continuing to enjoy both as he works to promote civility in our nation’s discourse.
To make sure we don’t miss a beat, Fred has agreed to stay on as publisher for the next two months, and my old friend and colleague Patty Stonesifer will join The Post today as interim CEO. She will lead our leadership team, guide us through this important transition and help me find the publisher/CEO who will take the post into the next decade. Patty has built and led great organizations. You’ll soon see for yourself why I admire her. Her skills, judgment and character all stand out. She also understands the importance of our mission and has deep respect for the work we do here.
Please join me in thanking Fred as he prepares for his new venture and in welcoming Patty as she assumes the role of interim CEO.
Thank you very much,
Jeff