WASHINGTON: The executive editor of the Washington Post, Sally Buzbee, has abruptly stepped down from the role, as the storied American newspaper undergoes a major restructuring, its chief executive said late Sunday.
Assuming the job in 2021, Buzbee was the first female editor of the Post in 150 years.
Her departure is part of the biggest move yet by publisher and CEO William Lewis since he took over in January, the newspaper said.
Matt Murray, the former editor-in-chief of the Wall Street Journal, is assuming the executive editor position through November’s US presidential election, according to Lewis.
There was no reason given for the departure of Buzbee, a former top editor of the Associated Press.
In an email to staff, Lewis said he aims to launch “a new division of the newsroom” this year.
The new operation will be separate from the traditional newsroom and the editorial/opinion division.
It will focus on “service and social media journalism,” while making use of AI, Lewis said in his message to staff.
Murray will oversee the new division after the election, according to Lewis, while “core coverage areas” such as politics, business and features will be overseen by Robert Winnett, a veteran of Telegraph Media Group.
Lewis recently acknowledged major losses for the Washington Post over the past year, amounting to some $77 million, and cost-cutting efforts included buyout offers for hundreds of staffers in late 2023.
The paper said that in recent months Lewis has also hired other former Dow Jones colleagues into key Post corporate positions.
The controlling shareholder of Dow Jones and the Journal is Rupert Murdoch, whose family also controls Fox Corporation which runs Fox News.

DUBAI: OSN has acquired the rights to all first-run Max Originals and the full Warner Bros. Pictures feature film library.

As part of an exclusive multi-year deal with Warner Bros. Discovery, subscribers to OSN’s traditional TV and streaming services will be able to watch new films after their theatrical and home entertainment release windows.

The titles include recent movies such as “Barbie,” “Wonka” and “Dune: Part Two,” as well as upcoming Max Original TV shows such as “Dune: Prophecy,” a prequel to the recent films, and “The Penguin,” a spin-off from 2022 superhero movie “The Batman.” The agreement also includes new shows such as “Rescue: Hi-surf” and “Emperor of Ocean Park.”

“This deal is significant as it will bring the full Warner Bros. Pictures film catalog and exclusive features to OSN for the first time since 2016, widely expanding our content offering for MENA audiences to bring some of the biggest global titles and latest blockbusters,” Joe Kawkabani, Group CEO at OSN, told Arab News.

The agreement builds upon an existing multi-year deal between OSN and Warner Bros. Discovery, and means OSN is the only company in the region offering HBO content. He said: “By also securing the rights to premiere all new, first-run Max Originals in the region, we have further strengthened our proposition.”

The content included under the deal will “complement our existing catalog of HBO Original content,” in keeping with the company’s “larger content strategy and commitment to bringing the best and most premium content to our customers first,” Kawkabani said.