Washington Post names Sally Buzbee as paper’s first female executive editor

The Washington Post on Tuesday named Sally Buzbee of The Associated Press as its new executive editor, making her the first woman to lead the newspaper in its 144-year history.

Post publisher Fred Ryan announced the decision to the paper’s staff Tuesday morning.

“We sought a bold leader who can manage our dynamic newsroom and bureaus across the globe,” Ryan said. “We looked for some who shares our values of diversity and inclusion, and who is committed to prioritizing them in our news coverage as well as our hiring and promotion.”

Buzbee, currently executive editor and senior vice president for the AP, has spent her entire journalism career at the newswire. She started in 1988 and has led newsroom operations since 2017.

Buzbee’s experience in the nation’s capital includes serving as the AP’s Washington bureau chief from 2010 to 2016. She also worked in the bureau during the early 1990s.

The Post’s former executive editor, Marty Baron, retired from the newspaper at the end of February. He had held the job since 2013.

“Sally is a highly accomplished journalist and a high-quality human being,” Baron said of Buzbee’s hire. “She will be an excellent leader for The Post’s newsroom.”

The change of leadership at the Post comes amid similar moves at several other news organizations.

The Los Angeles Times this month named ESPN’s Kevin Merida as its new executive editor, and New York Times executive editor Dean Baquet is expected to retire soon.

In early February, CNN President Jeff Zucker told employees he would remain in his job through the end of 2021.

Updated at 11:34 a.m.