WSJ personal tech columnist Stern is departing

Wall Street Journal personal technology columnist Joanna Stern sent out the following on Thursday morning:

Colleagues, friends and comrades,

December 31, 2013: I published my first Wall Street Journal column and video about the Hapifork—a Bluetooth “smart” fork. Few people read it. Fewer watched it. A historic start.

2014 – 2026: Things improve.

Tomorrow, February 6, 2026: I will publish my last column and video here—at least as a full-time employee. Now that’s called a HapiEnding.

I wanted you to hear it from me: After over 500 columns and 400 videos, I’ve decided to leave the Journal to go build something new.This place changed my life. I’ve learned from the best journalists in the business, made lifelong friends and was given the freedom and trust to experiment, take risks and make at least six stipples of myself—and one of my dog.

It would make for a cleaner exit story if I said I was leaving because the 6th floor printer finally broke me. But the truth is I’ve done things here I never dreamed possible, and now feels like the right moment to build a new media company focused on consumer tech.Columns like this look like a one-person show—one byline, one face on camera—but it’s always been a team sport. I’m incredibly grateful to all of you for the ideas, edits, legal docs that kept my craziest ideas possible and safe, questions about your iPhones and your belief in my work over the last dozen years. And especially to Wilson Rothman, who edited the forkin’ failure of a first column, will edit my last and shaped most of the ones in between. I promised I wouldn’t hand out advice here but tip 1: find yourself a Wilson. (Live video of me trying to write without him.)

I’m not disappearing—partly because I love you all and partly because I have so many cozy WSJ sweatshirts I refuse to part with. I’m excited to keep contributing to WSJ and WSJ events. And, of course, I’ll be watching and reading everything you all do.

Instead of giving you my personal email, I’d love to get yours.

Thank you for everything.

Journal editor in chief Emma Tucker issued the following statement:

“Joanna’s been a brilliant colleague on our tech beat and on our video team, bringing a sharp, unmistakable energy and voice to our coverage. We’ve loved her distinctive take on the industry, and while we’re sad to see her go, we’re delighted that she’ll continue to contribute for us and we wish her the very best as she heads off on a fresh new adventure.”