Fred Ryan, publisher of Washington Post, will step down
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Mr Fred Ryan was tapped to head the Washington Post by Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos in 2013.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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NEW YORK – Mr Fred Ryan, the publisher and CEO of The Washington Post, told employees Monday that he was stepping down, ending his nearly decade long run as the newspaper’s top business executive.
He was appointed by Mr Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon and owner of the Post.
In a note to staff, Mr Ryan, a former Reagan aide, said that his next job would be leading the Centre on Public Civility, a new project by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute that is backed by Mr Bezos.
In an interview, Mr Ryan said he was proud of his business record at the Post, which included increasing the newspaper’s digital subscribers to 2.5 million from 35,000.
He also said he was proud of a new partnership on press freedom – Mr Ryan successfully lobbied Iran for the release of Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian
“I think if you look back over the arc, it’s been one of the most remarkable transformations in a news organisation that was primary print and local becoming primarily global and digital,” Mr Ryan said.
Mr Bezos thanked Mr Ryan for his service in a note to employees, saying he led the newspaper through a period of “innovation, journalistic excellence and growth”.
News of Mr Ryan’s departure stunned the newsroom. The masthead and senior editors were notified about Mr Ryan’s departure on Monday morning, shortly before the official announcement, according to three people with knowledge of the matter.
Mr Ryan has had an uneven track record at the Post. Tapped shortly after Mr Bezos acquired the newspaper in 2013 for US$250 million (S$336 million), Mr Ryan teamed up with Mr Marty Baron, the paper’s former executive editor, to replenish the Post’s newsroom and expand its journalism, leading to a surge in digital subscriptions.
The Post has remained a premier journalistic institution, and this year won two Pulitzer Prizes for national reporting and feature writing, and two Post reporters won a Pulitzer for a non-fiction book.
But subscriber growth has been sluggish in recent years, as the heightened reader interest in politics waned from its boom times during the attention-grabbing administration of former President Donald Trump, and the Post has struggled to maintain momentum.
The current number of subscribers – 2.5 million – is roughly unchanged from a year ago, and down from the 3 million the Post said it had in 2020.
In interviews with The New York Times, many Post employees expressed frustration with what they described as a turgid business culture led by Mr Ryan, mired in endless meetings and dead-end strategy memos.
There has been friction between Mr Ryan and Ms Sally Buzbee, who joined the Post as executive editor nearly two years ago, over the direction of the publication.
In late 2022, Mr Ryan accused Mr Cameron Barr, the second-most senior editor, of leaking unflattering information to the press and sought his ouster, according to three people familiar with the episode.
Mr Barr, who announced his departure from the Post this month, declined to comment. The Post declined to comment on their interactions.
A person familiar with Mr Ryan’s accusation said there was no evidence to support Mr Ryan’s claims.
Mr Bezos made a rare visit to the Post in January, after reports about the publication’s struggles. He met with editorial leaders and business executives and made it clear he was there to listen rather than to ask questions.
In those meetings, numerous employees raised concerns with Mr Bezos about a lack of business strategy for the Post, and how Mr Ryan had managed the newspaper, according to a person with knowledge of those meetings.
Mr Bezos told the employees that he planned to be more involved and that he had no plans to sell the newspaper. His appearance reassured some staff members who were worried he was no longer committed to the publication.
Shortly after his visit, the Post laid off 20 journalists
The Post has continued to lose top talent since then, including its chief revenue officer Joy Robins and its senior culture editor David Malitz, who both joined the Times.
High-profile reporters including Eli Saslow, Robert Samuels and Stephanie McCrummen also departed the Post in 2023 for other publications.
The Post is close to replacing some of the executives who left, according to a person familiar with its recruitment efforts.
Some employees expressed relief on Monday upon hearing the news of Mr Ryan’s impending departure.
In an instant messaging chat for employees in the Washington Post union, one staff member suggested a party playlist for the occasion, and another sought a volunteer to procure Champagne.
Ms Katie Mettler, a co-chair of The Washington Post Guild, said in the chat that the past few years had been “extraordinarily trying” for employees at the newspaper.
“There is a lot we don’t know about today’s news or what comes next,” she wrote, “but I, for one, am cautiously optimistic.”
Ms Patty Stonesifer, the former CEO of Martha’s Table, a provider of food and clothing for low-income people, will be the Post’s interim CEO, Mr Bezos said in the note to employees.
“You’ll soon see for yourself why I admire her,” he said. “Her skills, judgment and character all stand out. She also understands the importance of our mission and has a deep respect for the work we do here.”
Ms Stonesifer will help lead the search for the permanent successor to Mr Ryan, who will remain publisher for the next two months.
In a meeting with the newsroom on Monday afternoon, Ms Stonesifer said she expected to be in the role for six months to a year.
She called herself “the No. 1 fan of The Washington Post”, and she assured the staff that Mr Bezos “loves The Washington Post,” according to an audio recording of the meeting.
“The Post is a big part of his DNA now, I think,” she said.
Ms Stonesifer said there were no plans for any additional layoffs.
“I don’t think it’s right for an interim to overhaul,” Ms Stonesifer said, adding, “I’m here to keep this operation-building momentum.”
Ms Stonesifer said she would remain as an independent director on Amazon’s board, a position she has held since 1997. NYTIMES
