Jill Abramson, a former investigative reporter, has been named the next executive editor of The New York Times, the paper reports. Abramson, formerly a Washington correspondent and editor, will replace Bill Keller, who is stepping down to become a full-time writer for the storied paper. Abramson's appointment is signficant for many reasons, but perhaps chief among them is that she will become the first female executive editor in the Times' 160-year history.

It hasn't been an easy few years for the paper. Despite winning 106 Pulitzer Prizes - the most of any news organization in history - since its 1851 founding, there were many who thought that the paper would close its doors in the internet age.

"A couple of years ago, everybody was wringing their hands about doomsday for the news business," an emotional Keller said, as he announced Abramson's appointment. "People talked, some of them rather smugly, about even The New York Times not being long for this world. And now you look around, and we are economically sturdy. We are rich in talent. We are growing."

Abramson, 57, described her promotion as "the honor of my life." Indeed, we imagine that shattering the glass ceiling has to feel pretty good for a woman who, in 2006, wrote a column asking, "When will we stop saying, 'First Woman To _____'?"

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