WaPo’s Ad Chief Wavers

At The Washington Post, the spotlight on publisher Will Lewis’ turbulent 20-month tenure has largely focused on the newsroom, where plummeting morale has fueled an exodus of high-profile reporters, senior editors, and columnists. Those departures have drawn the most public attention, but an equally consequential matter has been unfolding on the business side. The task of selling advertising, already a challenge in today’s digital media economy dominated by Meta and Google, has only become more important as the paper contends with subscriber losses tied to Jeff Bezos’ increasingly heavy-handed involvement.

Put simply: as subscription revenue has taken a hit, the need to close lucrative ad deals to make up the difference has intensified, placing new strain on the commercial leadership team.

At the center of that effort has been Johanna Mayer-Jones, a veteran and well-liked operator who was elevated to the pivotal role of chief advertising officer in July 2023 by then-interim chief executive Patty Stonesifer. Mayer-Jones was tasked with stabilizing a division under immense pressure, and by most accounts, she has played her less-than-ideal hand well, courting Madison Avenue to keep revenue flowing—all while The Post has repeatedly convulsed in public. But how long she remains in that seat is increasingly in question.