MAM
Who is Jeff D’Onofrio, Washington Post’s acting CEO and publisher?
Finance executive steps up as critics condemn sweeping mass layoff
WASHINGTON: The Washington Post has appointed Jeff D’Onofrio as its acting CEO and publisher following the departure of Will Lewis, whose tenure ended this week after a sweeping round of newsroom layoffs.
D’Onofrio, the Post’s CFO since June 2025, assumes the top role at a moment of acute turbulence. The leadership change comes days after the newspaper cut roughly a third of its staff, including foreign correspondents and US-based reporters, prompting sharp criticism from politicians and media unions.
US senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren were among those who condemned the cuts, which have intensified scrutiny of the paper’s direction under owner Jeff Bezos.
In a note to staff, D’Onofrio acknowledged the scale of disruption, writing that the organisation was ending “a hard week of change with more change”. He cited broader economic pressures across the media industry while urging employees to focus on navigating the downturn together.
A finance executive by training, D’Onofrio has spent much of his career in technology, advertising and digital media rather than traditional journalism. Before joining the Post, he served as CFO at Raptive, a digital advertising management firm, overseeing finance, human resources and data functions.
His most prominent role was at Tumblr, where he held multiple senior positions including CEO between 2017 and 2022. During that period, the platform banned adult content, a decision followed by a reported 30 per cent fall in traffic. Tumblr, acquired by Yahoo for $1.1 billion in 2013, was later sold to Automattic in 2019 for less than $3 million.
Earlier in his career, D’Onofrio held senior roles at Google, Yahoo, Zagat and Major League Baseball Advanced Media, and briefly served as general manager of Yahoo News under Verizon ownership.
The Washington Post Guild said hundreds of members were laid off “without rhyme or reason”, adding to pressure on management as the newsroom grapples with repeated rounds of cuts.
Bezos acquired the Washington Post in 2013 and initially expanded its newsroom and digital ambitions. But declining advertising revenue and softer subscription growth have since forced retrenchment. In 2023, the paper eliminated about 240 roles, largely through buyouts. Appointed CEO and publisher Will Lewis that year, exits after a contentious tenure now overshadowed by the latest cuts.
D’Onofrio takes over with detailed knowledge of the Post’s finances, having spent the past nine months at the centre of its restructuring efforts.
MAM
Lego brings Messi, Ronaldo, Mbappé, Vinicius together
Campaign clocks 314 million views ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026 buzz.
MUMBAI: Four legends, one frame and not a single tackle in sight. Lego has pulled off a crossover few thought possible, uniting Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior in a single campaign ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 only this time, they’re building dreams brick by brick.
Titled “Everyone wants a piece”, the campaign features the quartet assembling a Lego version of the World Cup trophy, before placing miniature versions of themselves atop it, a playful nod to football’s ultimate prize. Shared widely across social media, the ad carries a pointed disclaimer: it is not AI-generated, a subtle but telling signal in an era where even reality is often questioned.
The numbers tell their own story. The campaign has already crossed 314 million views on Instagram across the players’ accounts, with fans hailing it as a rare, almost nostalgic moment particularly for the reunion of Messi and Ronaldo, whose last shared campaign ahead of the 2022 World Cup became one of the platform’s most-liked posts.
Beyond the film, Lego is extending the play with exclusive, player-themed sets tied to each of the four stars, part of a broader football-led programme designed to ride the global momentum building towards 2026. The idea, as echoed by the players themselves, leans into the parallels between football and play experimentation, creativity, failure, and triumph.
Messi described the sets as a way to bring on-pitch moments into an imaginative, hands-on world, while Ronaldo called the transformation into a Lego figure a rare honour, blending sport with storytelling. Vinícius, meanwhile, struck a more personal note, recalling childhood moments of building with Lego and framing creativity as a universal language that transcends borders.
The timing is no accident. With the 2026 World Cup set to run from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Canada and Mexico, and featuring an expanded 48-team format, global anticipation is already building. Argentina, led by Messi, will enter as defending champions, adding another layer of intrigue.
For Lego, the campaign does more than celebrate football, it taps into its mythology. Because when icons become figurines and rivalries turn into play, the beautiful game finds a new kind of pitch. one built, quite literally, by hand.
