Washington Post's Managing Editor Chooses To Step Down

January 5, 2009 2:45 p.m. EST

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - Washington Post Managing Editor Philip Bennett announced Monday that he is stepping down this week after four years in the paper's No. 2 slot and 11 years with the newspaper.

Bennett, 49, had been a candidate for the top job as the paper's executive editor when Leonard Downie Jr. announced he was retiring after 17 years, but the position went to Marcus Brauchli a former Wall Street Journal editor.

Bennett has said he made the decision to leave on his own, and newspaper officials have also stated that was the case, according to reports.

With no room to advance at the Post once Brauchli had the top position, Bennett had agreed to stay on as managing editor for an interim period that is now at its end. He will next work on a project about the future of journalism with Post Co. chief executive Donald Graham for an unspecified time and has not made any decisions about continuing with the company after that project.

Bennett reportedly said he had not felt it appropriate to look for another job while he was still working as managing editor because of the heavy time demands of the position. Therefore, he is undecided about what he will do in the future.

Post officials made clear that Bennett was stepping down of his own accord and the newspaper would have preferred that he stay in the newsroom, but understood his decision.