Women now make up majority of top Washington Post editors with Matea Gold promotion

Women will make up the majority of The Washington Post’s masthead after national editor Matea Gold steps into a new role as a managing editor in September.

“It’s an incredible privilege to join the leadership team of The Post and to continue to carry on the values that make this such an exceptional news organization,” Gold said in a statement. “This is a dynamic, ambitious moment for the newsroom, and I’m excited to help shepherd all the great journalism that is to come.”

Washington Post Executive Editor Sally Buzbee announced Gold’s promotion to managing editor Thursday. Gold will oversee several departments, including The Post’s National and Metro teams. She will join the masthead alongside managing editors Justin Bank and Krissah Thompson and senior managing editor Cameron Barr, marking the first time that women have occupied the majority of editorial leadership roles at the paper, the Post reported.

“Matea is one of the most respected journalists and beloved colleagues here at The Post, and I am thrilled that she is stepping into a greater leadership role for us,” Buzbee said in a statement. “Her vision, ambition and commitment to excellence will benefit teams across our newsroom.”

Deputy managing editor Barbara Vobejda, who is retiring this fall, will serve as interim managing editor until Gold officially steps into her new role in September, according to the press release.

In her current role as national editor, Gold oversaw the Post’s investigative piece about the Jan. 6 attacks, which was part of a package that won numerous awards last year, including the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service. In addition, the press release noted that Gold oversaw the national department’s coverage that won two Pulitzer Prizes this week for National Reporting and Feature Writing.

Gold came to The Post in 2013 as a national politics reporter after spending 17 years at The Los Angeles Times. In an interview with the Post, she said her top priority in her new role is “to continue to elevate our journalism across the board.”

“I think what makes The Post distinct is original, revelatory reporting, and that has the power to really change how people see the world,” she said. “That can come in many different story formats, but at its core it all shares the same DNA. We have to approach every story with curiosity, with rigor, with judgment.”

She also said she wants to “pull back the curtain on our work” to strengthen readers’ trust with the paper.

“We’re in a moment in the media where we really need to reckon with the distrust that’s out there,” she said.