Major Shift at Washington Post as Sally Buzbee Steps Down from Executive Editor Role

The Washington Post shared on Sunday that its top editor, Sally Buzbee, has left the company. This change was made by the new publisher and chief executive, William Lewis, just before the important 2024 presidential election.

In a statement, Lewis praised Sally as a great leader and highly skilled media executive. He expressed his best wishes for her future endeavors.

While Lewis publicly praised Buzbee on Sunday, it's worth noting that she led The Post during a challenging time. Over her three-year term, the newspaper experienced a significant decline in its readership.

Despite The Post achieving various journalism awards during Buzbee's leadership, there were also internal conflicts in 2022 that made national news and brought embarrassment to the publication.

The Post announced that Matt Murray, former editor in chief of The Wall Street Journal, will be the new executive editor, replacing Buzbee. Murray will hold this position until the 2024 presidential election.

Following the November election, Robert Winnett, deputy editor of The Telegraph Media Group, will become the new editor of The Post, in charge of its main news content. Murray will then shift his focus to building a new newsroom at The Post, one that emphasizes service and social media journalism.

Lewis believes that establishing a new newsroom division is a clear shift away from the outdated 'one size fits all' strategy and towards better engaging with our audience.

These leadership adjustments are part of Lewis' swift efforts to revitalize The Post. While the publication saw significant growth during the tumultuous Trump presidency, it has faced challenges in maintaining its momentum.

Lewis recently shared his revival plan with staff, revealing that the newspaper had a loss of $77 million last year and a 50% decrease in audience since 2020.

During a 90-minute meeting, Lewis openly admitted, "We are in a tough spot that we've been in for a while."

Murray, like Lewis, had a long career within Rupert Murdoch's media empire. He spent 29 years at The Wall Street Journal before stepping down from his leadership position at the business broadsheet last year.

In a statement, Murray expressed his deep honor at joining a news institution with a rich history of impactful journalism. He thanked Sally for her leadership and shared his excitement about Will and Jeff's vision for The Post's future growth and reinvention. Murray is eager to begin this new chapter.

This story had been updated with new information.

Editor's P/S:

The recent shake-up at The Washington Post is a sign of the times for the newspaper industry. The Post, like many other traditional media outlets, has faced a decline in readership and revenue in recent years as more and more people get their news online. In an effort to revitalize the paper, the new publisher and chief executive, William Lewis, has replaced the top editor, Sally Buzbee, with Matt Murray, a former editor in chief of The Wall Street Journal. This is a bold move that reflects the Post's commitment to change. It remains to be seen whether Murray will be able to lead the Post to a new era of growth, but his appointment is a sign that the paper is serious about adapting to the challenges of the digital age.

It is also important to note that Buzbee's departure comes after a challenging three-year term. During her time as editor, the Post experienced a significant decline in its readership, and there were also internal conflicts in 2022 that made national news. These factors likely contributed to Lewis's decision to replace Buzbee, and it will be interesting to see how Murray addresses these challenges in his new role.