Steve Coll, 'Wash Post' Managing Editor, To Exit

By: E & P Staff After six years in the post, Washington Post Managing Editor Steve Coll is stepping down at the end of the year to concentrate on book writing. His most recent book was "Ghost Wars."

In a memo to staff Wednesday, Executive Editor Leonard Downie, Jr., wrote that Coll's decision "deprives me of a perfect partner and the newsroom of a brilliant leader.... He provided strategic vision for the newsroom's evolving role in a multi-media world. And he taught this old dog numerous new tricks."

Downie added: "The good news is that Steve will still be in the newsroom in a dynamic new role -- reporting, writing, mentoring and editing -- during and after his next book project. I am confident that his imprint on our journalism will continue to grow.

"As challenging as it will be to select a successor to Steve, we are fortunate to have in the newsroom a number of well-qualified senior editors. With the assistance of Milton Coleman, I will begin the selection process immediately."