Fred Ryan, the publisher and chief executive of The Washington Post, told staff Monday that he was stepping down, ending his nearly decade-long career as the newspaper’s chief executive. He was appointed by Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon and owner of The Post.
In a message to staff, Mr. Ryan, a former aide to Reagan, said his next job would be to direct the Center on Public Civility, a new project of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute supported by Mr. Bezos.
In an interview, Mr Ryan said he was proud of his business record at The Post, which included growing the newspaper’s digital subscribers from 35,000 to 2.5 million.
He also said he was proud of a new press freedom partnership. Mr. Ryan successfully lobbied Iran for the release of Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian and spoke out strongly against the murder of former Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
“I think if you look back at the arc, it’s been one of the most remarkable transformations in a news organization that was primarily print and local and became primarily global and digital,” said Ryan.
Mr. Bezos thanked Mr. Ryan for his services in a letter to employees, saying he led the paper through a period of “innovation, journalistic excellence and growth.”
News of Mr Ryan’s departure shocked the newsroom. According to three people with knowledge of the matter, the masthead and editors-in-chief were informed of Mr Ryan’s departure on Monday morning, shortly before the official announcement was made.
Mr Ryan has an uneven track record at The Post. Shortly after acquiring it for $250 million in 2013, Mr. Bezos appointed to run the newspaper. mr. digital subscriptions.
The Post has remained a premier journalism institution, winning two Pulitzer Prizes this year for national reporting and feature writing, and two Post reporters won a Pulitzer for a nonfiction book.
But subscriber growth has been sluggish in recent years, as readers’ heightened interest in politics waned after the boom during former President Donald J. Trump’s high profile administration, and The Post has struggled to maintain momentum. The current number of subscribers – 2.5 million – is about the same as the same period last year, and less than the three million The Post said it had in 2020.
In interviews with The New York Times, many Post employees have expressed frustration with what they described as a bloated corporate culture led by Mr. Ryan, mired in endless meetings and dead-end strategic memos. There has been friction between Mr Ryan and Sally Buzbee, the editor-in-chief who joined The Post nearly two years ago, over the direction of the publication.
Late last year, Mr Ryan accused 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 allegation said there was no evidence to support Mr Ryan’s allegations.
Mr Bezos made a rare visit to The Post in January following reports of the publication’s troubles. He met editors-in-chief and business executives and made it clear that he was there to listen rather than ask questions.
During those meetings, according to a person who was aware of 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 paper. Mr. Bezos told employees he intended to be more involved and that he had no intention of selling the paper. His appearance reassured some staff who feared he would no longer commit the publication.
Shortly after his visit, The Post fired 20 journalists and closed its popular video games section, saying it would not fill another 30 positions, blaming the “economic climate.”
The Post has since continued to lose top talent, including chief revenue officer Joy Robins and senior culture editor David Malitz, both of whom joined The Times. High-profile reporters like Eli Saslow, Robert Samuels and Stephanie McCrummen also left The Post this year for other publications.
According to a person familiar with the recruiting effort, The Post is about to replace some of the executives who have left.
Some employees expressed relief on Monday when they heard the news of Mr Ryan’s impending departure. In an instant messaging chat for Washington Post union employees, one employee suggested a celebration playlist for the occasion, and another sought out a volunteer to buy champagne.
Katie Mettler, co-chair of The Washington Post Guild, said in the chat that the past few years had been “extremely difficult” for employees of the newspaper.
“There’s a lot we don’t know about today’s news or what comes next,” she wrote, “but I’m cautiously optimistic.”
Mr. Ryan’s successor will need to jump-start the newspaper’s subscriber growth and deal with industry-wide headwinds in the digital advertising market. The upcoming presidential election could be a tailwind as readers turn to The Post for its authoritative political coverage.
There are signs that Mr. Bezos has been more involved in The Post’s activities. This spring, he had regular conversations with post managers, asking pointed questions about finances, online strategy, and other matters.
Patty Stonesifer, the former CEO of Martha’s Table, a provider of food and clothing for low-income people, will become The Post’s interim CEO, 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 deep respect for the work we do here.”
Ms. Stonesifer will assist in the search for the permanent successor to Mr. Stonesifer. Ryan, who will remain publisher for the next two months.
