McGrory, Boston Globe's top editor, says he is stepping down

Brian McGrory, under whose leadership The Boston Globe won three newsroom Pulitzer Prizes, said Wednesday that he is stepping down after 10 years at the helm to become chair of Boston University's journalism department.

McGrory, who started at the Globe in 1989, was named top editor in 2012 when it was owned by The New York Times Co., which at one point threatened to shut down the paper. He replaced Martin Baron, who went to The Washington Post.

When new owners John Henry — principal owner of the Boston Red Sox — and Linda Henry took over a few months later, he was retained.

“This is one of the best jobs in the city and in all of journalism,” McGrory, 60, told the Globe. “I was born in Boston, raised here, weirdly spent my childhood striving to write for the Globe. For me, this was an honor on top of an honor. But 10 years is enough. I’m proud of what our newsroom accomplished, and the Globe will benefit greatly from the fresh perspectives of a new editor.”

Under McGrory, the paper boosted its digital subscriptions even as the number of print subscribers dropped.

“Brian has been a vital part of the leadership of this organization as we embarked on a radical transformation,” Globe CEO Linda Henry said in a staff memo. “He gave the Globe the greatest advantage that a media organization can have — unrelentingly high journalistic standards, an innovative mindset, and a deep commitment to the communities that we proudly serve.”

McGrory will stay through the end of the year or until a successor is in place. In addition to his duties at BU, he will also continue to write an opinion column for the Globe.