Sally Buzbee, the first female journalist to assume, since the newspaper's founding in 1877, the role of executive editor of the "Washington Post" in 2021, unexpectedly resigned this Sunday.
Note from Washington Post CEO Will Lewis to staff annoucing executive editor Sally Buzbee's departure and the appointment of Matt Murray to lead the newsroom through the election pic.twitter.com/juSc2r2O7E
— Max Tani (@maxwelltani) June 3, 2024
The newspaper's chief executive, William Lewis, assured that Buzbee resigned in the middle of a extensive restructuring of the American newspaper after three years in the role and an extensive career at the Associated Press news agency: "Sally is an incredible leader and a supremely talented media executive who will be sorely missed. I wish her all the best going forward," said Lewis through a press release.
The chief executive also announced that Sally Buzbee's position will be filled by former "Wall Street Journal" editor-in-chief Matt Murray. His replacement, however, will be temporary, since the journalist has accepted the position only until the presidential elections in the United States are over. Despite this, Murray stated, he felt "honored" to be able to work at such a "storied news institution with its long, rich history":
I’m deeply honored to join such a storied news institution with its long, rich history of memorable and impactful journalism and want to thank Sally for her great leadership. I am excited by Will and Jeff’s vision for The Post’s next era of growth and reinvention and can’t wait to get started.
The 'Washington Post' announces a "new area in the newsroom"
After the presidential election, the position of editor of the "Washington Post" will pass to the deputy editor of The Telegraph Media Group, Robert Winnet, the company announced. In that same statement, Lewis stated that Buzbee's resignation comes with another big change for the newspaper.
In this way, the newspaper will launch this fall a "new area in the newsroom" that will focus on "service journalism and social networks" and that will be focused, according to Lewis, on readers who "want to consume and pay for news differently from traditional offerings."
This new area, explained the chief executive, will focus on offering more audiovisual content and, to do so, will take advantage of new technologies such as artificial intelligence in an attempt to get closer to a new type of readers:
The aim is to give the millions of Americans - who feel traditional news is not for them but still want to be kept informed - compelling, exciting and accurate news where they are and in the style that they want.
