Washington (USA): Fred Ryan, Washington Post publisher and chief executive officer (CEO), is leaving the newspaper after nine years in charge. Newspaper owner Jeff Bezos announced Ryan’s departure in a memo to staff on Monday. He’ll continue as publisher and CEO for two more months.
After leading the newspaper for most of the decade since it was acquired by Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, Ryan, 68, will now take charge of the newly established nonpartisan Center on Public Civility at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation.
Replacing Ryan on an interim basis is Patty Stonesifer, the founding chief executive of the Gates Foundation and a former director of the Amazon board. She assumes the role of interim CEO with immediate effect and has been entrusted with the responsibility of finding Ryan's successor.
In an interview, Ryan emphasized his longstanding commitment to the center's mission, stating, "the decline in civility is threatening the foundation of our democracy." Having previously served in the Reagan administration, Ryan considered his involvement in the centre as "a bookend for something I did early on in my career."
Ryan further expressed that he has the full support of Jeff Bezos in this new venture, remarking that their relationship "could not be closer." He revealed that Bezos shares his enthusiasm for addressing the erosion of civility in public life and has provided initial funding for the planning and design of the center, although the exact amount remains undisclosed.
In a memo to the staff of The Washington Post, Bezos expressed his deep gratitude to Ryan for his leadership and commended him for his focus on the "intersection of journalism and technology."
In his own message to the staff, Ryan reflected on the remarkable transformation of The Post during his tenure, transitioning from a primarily local print newspaper to a global digital publication. He expressed confidence in the newspaper's future, stating, "I firmly believe there is a sound model for successful journalism and The Washington Post is well positioned to do that. I have no doubt that the high-quality journalism of the standard of The Washington Post will always be successful."
Ryan's departure comes at a time of significant challenges in the media industry, characterized by layoffs and declining audience numbers. However, he clarified that his decision to leave is unrelated to these industry-wide issues. Despite the challenges, he remains optimistic about the future of journalism and believes that The Washington Post will continue to thrive with its commitment to producing high-quality news content. (With agency inputs)
