The reality is the networking and opportunities in journalism are far superior in New York. There's no better place for advancement than the NYTimes IMO.
Journalism is a hustle.
Journalism is a hustle.
However, I speculate that The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post are equivalently great places for advancement for reporters (if only because the NYTimes's new executive editor/editor-in-chief spent much of his career with the WSJ).