Washington Post's Marty Baron says he's retiring next month

Marty Baron, executive editor of The Washington Post and one of the nation's top journalists, says he will retire at the end of February

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Washington Post Executive Editor Marty Baron who has led the newspaper on a resurgence in recent years, said Tuesday that he will retire at the end of February.

One of the nation's top journalism executives, Baron took over the Post's newsroom in 2012 after editing the Boston Globe and Miami Herald before that. Liev Schreiber portrayed Baron in the 2015 movie “Spotlight” about the Globe's investigation of the Catholic Church and introduced the journalist to a wider audience.

In a note to the Post's staff, Baron recounted a series of “epic” stories that he's been involved in during his 45-year career in journalism.

“The experience has been deeply meaningful, enriched by colleagues who made me a better professional and a better person,” he wrote. “At age 66, I feel ready to move on.”

The Post's publisher and CEO, Fred Ryan, said Baron had “significantly expanded our coverage areas, inspired great reporting, managed an awesome digital transformation and grown the number of readers and subscribers to unprecedented levels.”

The paper has won 10 Pulitzer Prizes during his tenure.

Ryan promised a “broad and inclusive" search for Baron's successor, considering both internal and external candidates.