Media News

The WSJ’s performance improvement plan problem

April 1, 2025

Posted by Chris Roush

Lachlan Cartwright and Ravi Somaiya of Breaker write about the performance improvement plan issue at The Wall Street Journal.

Cartwright and Somaiya report, “Just ask the Wall Street Journal where PIPs have almost doubled since editor in chief Emma Tucker took over in 2023. It was, perhaps, the inspiration for a November Journal story ‘The Most Hated Way of Firing Someone Is More Popular Than Ever. It’s the Age of the PIP.’

“The piece from workplace reporters, Lauren Weber and Chip Cutter, went into granular detail to ask ‘Why are PIPs so common now?,’ ‘Why are PIPs needed?’ and ‘What’s it like to be put on a PIP?’

“They didn’t have to look far for answers. They interviewed former Journal senior special writer, Stephanie Armour, who is currently suing the paper for discrimination and the fraudulent use of PIPs. She alleges the Journal used confected performance issues to get rid of her.”

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