OLD Media Moves

Taylor, former WSJ executive editor, dies at 87

August 12, 2015

Posted by Chris Roush

Frederick TaylorFrederick Taylor, a former Wall Street Journal executive editor who spent more than 30 years at the paper and was known for fiercely defending journalism and his staffers, died Monday at age 87.

Nathan Becker and Neil Haggerty of The Journal write, “Mr. Taylor was the Journal’s managing editor from 1970 to 1977, then served as executive editor until he retired in 1986. He steered the paper through the Watergate scandal, the resignation of President Richard Nixon and the end of the gold standard in the U.S.

“He joined the Journal in 1955 and held positions ranging from Detroit bureau chief to covering the Pentagon to writing the paper’s front-page ‘Labor Letter’ column. Later in his career, he oversaw content and production of ‘The Wall Street Journal Report,’ a nationally syndicated TV show.

“When he was managing editor, the Journal’s pages were dense to the margins with words and no photos—just the way Mr. Taylor liked it.

“‘I’ve always thought that one word was worth a thousand pictures,’ Mr. Taylor notably said, according to Journal archives.”

Read more here.

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