Well, it’s been rumored for a while, and it finally happened. Washington Post Executive Editor Marcus Brauchli is out, according to a Post announcement. His replacement is Boston Globe Editor Martin Baron.

“We are thrilled to have Marty Baron lead The Washington Post’s newsroom,” Post publisher Katharine Weymouth said in a statement. Brauchli is stepping down on Dec. 31, and Baron takes over the newsroom on January 2.

Weymouth has long been rumored to be at odds with Brauchli, who joined the paper in 2008, over his opposition to cutbacks at the Post. Brauchli’s staying with the Washington Post Company for now, becoming a vice president with a mandate to “review and evaluate new media opportunities.” It’s hard not to wonder if that includes evaluating new media opportunities for himself, elsewhere.

Photo by the Miller Center used under a Creative Commons license.