Scott Vance, a veteran newsroom manager who first joined The Washington Post in 1995, has been promoted to managing editor, Executive Editor Sally Buzbee said.
He will be one of four managing editors — alongside Krissah Thompson, Justin Bank and Matea Gold — filling a gap created on The Post’s masthead by the departure in June of former senior managing editor Cameron Barr.
Vance, 65, who most recently served as a deputy managing editor, will oversee The Post’s international, business, tech and sports coverage in his new role.
Buzbee praised Vance’s contributions to the paper.
“Scott has worked with every newsroom department to drive the daily news report and helped edit longer-term enterprise with a focus on competitiveness, excellence and value for readers,” she said, noting that he oversaw coverage of the coronavirus pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
A graduate of Kalamazoo College, Vance joined The Post as an editor on the Metro staff after 11 years at the Detroit News.
He was national security editor during the Iraq War, editing Pulitzer Prize-winning stories by Dana Priest that revealed the secret prisons run by the CIA and other unknown aspects of U.S. counterterrorism operations.
Vance’s promotion from deputy managing editor comes at an important juncture for The Post. Like other media organizations, it has been buffeted by economic challenges, notably the loss of advertising dollars, and its rapid growth during the frenetic news cycle of the Trump years has leveled off, resulting in a rare round of layoffs earlier this year. The Post is also in the process of hiring a new chief executive following Fred Ryan’s departure earlier this year.
“Obviously, there are big challenges for our business,” Vance said. “I’m optimistic that our colleagues in the business departments of the company are charting a path forward for us, but we in the newsroom have to do our part.”
Buzbee also announced the promotion of three veteran Post journalists — Ann Gerhart, Mike Semel and Craig Timberg — to deputy managing editor.
By Laura Wagner, a reporter at The Washington Post covering the changing digital media industry.
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