Katharine Weymouth, publisher of the Washington Post, yesterday named Marcus Brauchli, to take over as the paper's top editor, turning to an outsider to usher the Post into a new era.

Mr Brauchli, a former managing editor of the Wall Street Journal, will take over as the Post's executive editor in September, replacing Leonard Downie, a 44-year Post veteran who led the paper to six Pulitzer Prizes last year.