Globe Editor Marty Baron Is Leaving for The Washington Post

The Boston Globe editor Marty Baron is leaving his job in January to become executive editor of The Washington Post, his paper reports. Baron will replace the Post’s Marcus Brauchli, who is becoming a vice president at the Washington Post company. The Post position is obviously one with a lot of historic prestige, held for decades by Benjamin Bradlee, who oversaw, among other things, the paper’s Watergate coverage. But it’s also a difficult job as the Post struggles to adapt to the modern media climate. (Not that Baron is a stranger to those challenges after leading the Globe.) The Washington Post’s story on the hire notes that Bruachli reportedly clashed with his publisher over the newsroom budget, and the paper has had to close bureaus and offer buyouts during his editiorship.

Globe reporter Robert Weisman says the paper will undertake a nationwide search, looking both within and outside the newsroom, to find a replacement as soon as possible.

No word on whether there will be a nation-wide search for a new Twitter handle for Baron:

Boston loses a great editor in @globemartybaron, whose Twitter handle is now super awk.

— Andrew Phelps (@andrewphelps) November 13, 2012