The elevation of Will Lewis, a north London comprehensive boy, to become publisher and CEO of the Washington Post — in the footsteps of the late, great Kay Graham of Watergate fame — has caused a stir in the American capital. As soon as the news dropped last Saturday, the politicos of DC were seeking insights into the Brit taking on their “hometown newspaper” with its sacred tagline of “Democracy Dies in Darkness”.
Of particular concern to Democrats keying up for next year’s presidential election is Lewis’s past as the former golden boy of Rupert Murdoch’s media empire, owner of once Trump-loving Fox News and driving force of conservative politics on both sides of the Atlantic. Lewis was also knighted this year by Boris Johnson in his controversial resignation honours list — although he does not style himself as Sir Will — after giving the former prime minister informal advice before he was ousted in disgrace. So why did the Post’s owner, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, hire Lewis over several better known American names to revive the flagging fortunes of a liberal media icon?
