Riley MacLeod
@rcmacleod.bsky.social
Co-founder of Aftermath, a worker-owned site about video games, the internet, and everything that comes after. riley [at] aftermath [dot] site. Previously: Kotaku, Washington Post. Trans; he/him
https://aftermath.site/
https://aftermath.site/
Reposted by Riley MacLeod
Kara Swisher at www.threads.com says Will Lewis was fired.
Below that is his letter to the Post staff.
Below that is his letter to the Post staff.
February 8, 2026 at 1:58 AM
Kara Swisher at www.threads.com says Will Lewis was fired.
Below that is his letter to the Post staff.
Below that is his letter to the Post staff.
Reposted by Riley MacLeod
Will Lewis’s exit is long overdue. His legacy will be the attempted destruction of a great American journalism institution. But it's not too late to save The Post. Jeff Bezos must immediately rescind these layoffs or sell the paper to someone willing to invest in its future.
February 8, 2026 at 12:09 AM
Will Lewis’s exit is long overdue. His legacy will be the attempted destruction of a great American journalism institution. But it's not too late to save The Post. Jeff Bezos must immediately rescind these layoffs or sell the paper to someone willing to invest in its future.
Reposted by Riley MacLeod
go to the Super Bowl and lose a job you hate at the same time… will Lewis you are a work life balance legend
February 8, 2026 at 12:11 AM
go to the Super Bowl and lose a job you hate at the same time… will Lewis you are a work life balance legend
Reposted by Riley MacLeod
The Post must now reverse course on violating the rights of their workers with illegal layoffs. CTO Vineet Khosla and Arc XP President Matt Monahan need to also be held accountable for their lack of courage and bad faith.
February 8, 2026 at 12:11 AM
The Post must now reverse course on violating the rights of their workers with illegal layoffs. CTO Vineet Khosla and Arc XP President Matt Monahan need to also be held accountable for their lack of courage and bad faith.
Reposted by Riley MacLeod
Reposted by Riley MacLeod
Acecdotally, when we called him on Thursday as part of a union action, the number was disconnected
Breaking — Will Lewis out at the Washington Post. He just sent this email to staff (shared with me by staffer):
February 7, 2026 at 11:03 PM
Acecdotally, when we called him on Thursday as part of a union action, the number was disconnected
Reposted by Riley MacLeod
Katie Mettler, a former chair of the Washington Post guild, said: “I’m glad Will Lewis has been fired. I wish it had happened before he fired all my friends.”
Washington Post C.E.O. Will Lewis Steps Down After Stormy Tenure
www.nytimes.com
February 7, 2026 at 11:09 PM
Katie Mettler, a former chair of the Washington Post guild, said: “I’m glad Will Lewis has been fired. I wish it had happened before he fired all my friends.”
Reposted by Riley MacLeod
Jeff Bezos' statement, his first since last week's layoffs: "The Post has an essential journalistic mission and an extraordinary opportunity. Each and every day our readers give us a roadmap to success. The data tells us what is valuable and where to focus."
February 7, 2026 at 10:51 PM
Jeff Bezos' statement, his first since last week's layoffs: "The Post has an essential journalistic mission and an extraordinary opportunity. Each and every day our readers give us a roadmap to success. The data tells us what is valuable and where to focus."
Reposted by Riley MacLeod
Will Lewis is resigning as WaPo CEO, former Tumblr CEO Jeff D’Onofrio is the paper’s new acting CEO and publisher, per memos to staff
February 7, 2026 at 10:45 PM
Will Lewis is resigning as WaPo CEO, former Tumblr CEO Jeff D’Onofrio is the paper’s new acting CEO and publisher, per memos to staff
Got unreasonably upset when the commentators in the ice dancing were like "ooh, a little stumble," life is so fucking hard right now can't you guys just be cool for a minute
February 7, 2026 at 9:45 PM
Got unreasonably upset when the commentators in the ice dancing were like "ooh, a little stumble," life is so fucking hard right now can't you guys just be cool for a minute
Reposted by Riley MacLeod
Here's a lil' thing I wrote.
For years, quad axel jumps seemed impossible. Then Ilia Malinin landed one in 2022. As he heads to the Milano Cortina Games, everyone wants to know what’s next.
Figure Skaters at the 2026 Winter Olympics Are Pushing the Limits of What’s Possible
For years, quad axel jumps seemed impossible. Then Ilia Malinin landed one in 2022. As he heads to the Milano Cortina Games, everyone wants to know what’s next.
wrd.cm
February 6, 2026 at 4:12 PM
Here's a lil' thing I wrote.
Feel like I should stop watching rugby and watch the Olympics instead, because I have decided to root for all the wrong teams and it is simply exhausting
February 7, 2026 at 5:26 PM
Feel like I should stop watching rugby and watch the Olympics instead, because I have decided to root for all the wrong teams and it is simply exhausting
Reposted by Riley MacLeod
Some news: Ahead of this week’s devastating layoffs at The Post, a group of deep-pocketed locals approached publisher Will Lewis about acquiring the paper’s local news and sports teams. He ignored them.
More in @status.news www.status.news/p/washington...
More in @status.news www.status.news/p/washington...
Conflict of Disinterest
Jeff Bezos was once hailed as the ideal billionaire steward of a newspaper—but his recent actions have made clear that it’s time for him to sell The Washington Post.
www.status.news
February 7, 2026 at 5:11 PM
Some news: Ahead of this week’s devastating layoffs at The Post, a group of deep-pocketed locals approached publisher Will Lewis about acquiring the paper’s local news and sports teams. He ignored them.
More in @status.news www.status.news/p/washington...
More in @status.news www.status.news/p/washington...
Reposted by Riley MacLeod
“To suggest that compassion, dignity, and respect for the stranger are merely personal virtues rather than obligations of society betrays a fundamental misunderstanding of Christian ethics.”
Jesus did not teach that spirituality was only interior or individualist; he founded a community.
Jesus did not teach that spirituality was only interior or individualist; he founded a community.
Santa Fe’s Archbishop Wester: “In recent days, we have witnessed Speaker of the House Mike Johnson publicly criticizing Pope Leo XIV’s position of welcoming the stranger”
February 7, 2026 at 1:56 AM
“To suggest that compassion, dignity, and respect for the stranger are merely personal virtues rather than obligations of society betrays a fundamental misunderstanding of Christian ethics.”
Jesus did not teach that spirituality was only interior or individualist; he founded a community.
Jesus did not teach that spirituality was only interior or individualist; he founded a community.
Cannot stress enough how true this is. 80% of my workday today, which started at 7am, was not editing, my literal career. You can learn to run a business! It's worth it! But it will probably be very different than the job you had before.
February 6, 2026 at 11:25 PM
Cannot stress enough how true this is. 80% of my workday today, which started at 7am, was not editing, my literal career. You can learn to run a business! It's worth it! But it will probably be very different than the job you had before.
Big news! And yes-- literally your subscriber dollars at work! If you give us more dollars we will give you more news!
Your subscriber dollars at work: Aftermath has a new regular contributor and monthly columnist. Welcome @adashtra.bsky.social and @jmrivera.bsky.social to our regular rotation of writers!
aftermath.site/podcasts/after...
aftermath.site/podcasts/after...
February 6, 2026 at 8:33 PM
Big news! And yes-- literally your subscriber dollars at work! If you give us more dollars we will give you more news!
Reposted by Riley MacLeod
The Washington Post just laid off its entire award-winning photo team. They were our eyes in places we'll never see. It's a horrifying loss at a time when lying governments, propaganda and AI slop are on the rise.
February 6, 2026 at 6:59 PM
The Washington Post just laid off its entire award-winning photo team. They were our eyes in places we'll never see. It's a horrifying loss at a time when lying governments, propaganda and AI slop are on the rise.
Reposted by Riley MacLeod
"This work is expensive. It requires tons of attention and support from editors and lawyers and fact checkers and design staff. It is also good, in the moral sense. The Post’s recent cuts make it very difficult — virtually impossible, I’d say — to continue that kind of work, seemingly by design."
Wrote about getting laid off and why media workers deserve a little grace.
www.readergrev.com/p/washington...
www.readergrev.com/p/washington...
I lost my job at The Washington Post
An improbably timed defense of the media
www.readergrev.com
February 6, 2026 at 6:26 PM
"This work is expensive. It requires tons of attention and support from editors and lawyers and fact checkers and design staff. It is also good, in the moral sense. The Post’s recent cuts make it very difficult — virtually impossible, I’d say — to continue that kind of work, seemingly by design."
Reposted by Riley MacLeod
So many have given to The Post Guild’s fundraising effort, and we are floored. But we also ask you to consider supporting the fundraiser for our international staff and staff in our bureaus who aren’t Guild eligible. They are absolutely vital to coverage. www.gofundme.com/f/support-fo...
Donate to Support for Washington Post international employees, organized by Michelle Lee
Among the hundreds of journalists laid off by The Washington Post on … Michelle Lee needs your support for Support for Washington Post international employees
www.gofundme.com
February 5, 2026 at 9:54 PM
So many have given to The Post Guild’s fundraising effort, and we are floored. But we also ask you to consider supporting the fundraiser for our international staff and staff in our bureaus who aren’t Guild eligible. They are absolutely vital to coverage. www.gofundme.com/f/support-fo...
Well this'd do it
February 6, 2026 at 3:25 PM
Well this'd do it
Reposted by Riley MacLeod
The SpaceX/xAI merger situation is actually pretty important and, I think, very bad. "Data centers in space" is a bit of a pipe dream, but SpaceX now dominates low-Earth orbit in a highly concerning way. Starlink is real and could monopolize a lot of things.Not Good!
www.404media.co/this-spacex-...
www.404media.co/this-spacex-...
This SpaceX Situation: Not Good!
Elon Musk's political projects are combining into a highly concerning megacompany.
www.404media.co
February 5, 2026 at 4:39 PM
The SpaceX/xAI merger situation is actually pretty important and, I think, very bad. "Data centers in space" is a bit of a pipe dream, but SpaceX now dominates low-Earth orbit in a highly concerning way. Starlink is real and could monopolize a lot of things.Not Good!
www.404media.co/this-spacex-...
www.404media.co/this-spacex-...
It's 9pm and I'm going to hide from my overwhelming responsibilities by going to bed, which is itself, disappointingly, also a responsibility
February 6, 2026 at 2:00 AM
It's 9pm and I'm going to hide from my overwhelming responsibilities by going to bed, which is itself, disappointingly, also a responsibility
Reposted by Riley MacLeod
. @nickijhabvala.bsky.social: "Will Lewis was too busy to join the call to tell his staff he’s destroying the @washingtonpost.com sports department yesterday … but he did have time to walk the red carpet at NFL Honors here in San Francisco today. Amazing."
February 6, 2026 at 12:48 AM
. @nickijhabvala.bsky.social: "Will Lewis was too busy to join the call to tell his staff he’s destroying the @washingtonpost.com sports department yesterday … but he did have time to walk the red carpet at NFL Honors here in San Francisco today. Amazing."
Reposted by Riley MacLeod
Hello! I'm looking to speak to anyone who works, or has worked in a diversity position at a major studio or publisher (or whatever it's been called at that company, inclusive growth, DEI, whatever!). Conversations can be 100% anon, of course, via DM here or email lukeATaftermathDOTsite. Thanks!
February 5, 2026 at 11:27 PM
Hello! I'm looking to speak to anyone who works, or has worked in a diversity position at a major studio or publisher (or whatever it's been called at that company, inclusive growth, DEI, whatever!). Conversations can be 100% anon, of course, via DM here or email lukeATaftermathDOTsite. Thanks!
I'm not that experienced at cheering for sports so I'm just yelling "be better at rugby!" at Ireland
February 5, 2026 at 8:47 PM
I'm not that experienced at cheering for sports so I'm just yelling "be better at rugby!" at Ireland