Washington Post CEO to step down

Fred Ryan, publisher and CEO of The Washington Post, is stepping down, the news organization announced in a statement Monday.

Ryan will remain the publisher of The Washington Post until August, the statement said, and Patty Stonesifer has been appointed interim CEO.

Ryan, 68, has served as publisher and CEO since his appointment by Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon and owner of The Post, nine years ago. Ryan is leaving to lead the newly formed Center on Public Civility at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation, the statement said.

“I feel a strong sense of urgency in my next steps to address the decline in civility and respectful dialogue in our political process. I am grateful for the opportunity to lead the new Center on Public Civility which will play an important role in support of our democracy,” Ryan said in the statement.

Ryan leaves The Washington Post at a time when the industry has been hit with a series of layoffs and the shuttering of news outlets, such as BuzzFeed News. Ryan told The Washington Post in an interview that his departure “has nothing to do with that.”

The Washington Post laid off 20 newsroom employees in January.

Stonesifer starts her position as interim CEO Monday.

“I have had the privilege over my career of leading great organizations with a laser focus on serving their mission and their communities. I have both respect and passion for the mission and the journalism of The Washington Post — one of the greatest newsrooms in the world — and I am delighted to join this team in supporting the values and sustaining the work of this important institution,” Stonesifer said in the statement.