Sally Buzbee

Sally Streff Buzbee is an American journalist and former executive editor of The Washington Post.

Before joining the Post, Buzbee worked at the Associated Press for more than three decades, serving as executive editor and senior vice president for the last four-and-a-half years of her tenure.

Early life and education
Buzbee was born in Walla Walla, Washington. She lived in the Bay Area and the suburbs of Dallas before graduating from high school in Olathe, Kansas. She earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Kansas and joined the Associated Press in 1988. She earned her MBA from Georgetown University.

Career
Buzbee began her career with the Associated Press as a reporter in Topeka and San Diego. She later worked as the organization's Middle East regional editor, based in Cairo. She returned to the United States to be the AP's Washington bureau chief during the 2012 and 2016 elections. In 2017, Buzbee became senior vice president and executive editor of AP.

When Buzbee became executive editor of The Washington Post on June 1, 2021, she was the paper's first female editor-in-chief. In a November 2021 interview with Kara Swisher, Buzbee said the journalistic independence of the Post from its billionaire owner Jeff Bezos was "never in question at any point" during her hiring process. After Sir William Lewis became the CEO and publisher in January 2024, he pushed Buzbee to not run unflattering stories about him. She abruptly stepped down on June 2, 2024 "amid a broader shake-up."

Awards

 * 2019 William Allen White Award
 * 2021 'Badass 50' list.