Wall Street Journal editor in chief Matt Murray sent out the following:
Dear All:
I’m happy to share the news that Philana Patterson will become the new head of audio for The Wall Street Journal—a pivotal role for the future as the department ramps up with new shows and formats and works to deepen the place of audio across the newsroom.
Philana has been a key member of the Journal’s Standards team for several years, where she has worked with many of you as she contributed to a number of projects, from “The Facebook Files” to the Tulsa Project. Time and again, she has shown herself to be a deeply experienced and thoughtful journalist, and has become an informal mentor and counselor to many of you—and to me!
To audio she brings a deep record in digital news and new formats. Before joining the Journal, Philana worked at USA Today, as managing editor of Money & Consumer Tech leading coverage across digital, print, video and audio. In that role, she oversaw the launch of newsletters, video series and led a Gannett-wide multi-platform project commemorating the passage of the 19th Amendment. Prior to joining USA Today, she was assistant business editor at The Associated Press helping to oversee global business and financial coverage and served as a member of the AP Style Book Committee. She also led a groundbreaking project that used natural language generation software to automate corporate earnings stories. In her nearly 30 years in journalism, she’s also worked as a radio producer, reporter or editor at several other news organizations. And early in her career, she was a retail reporter at Dow Jones Newswires.
Philana, a native of Chicago, is a graduate of Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. She lives in New Jersey.
The Journal has made significant strides in audio in recent years, from the launch of our flagship daily podcast, “The Journal,” to the wide range of daily and serial podcasts. As the Journal ramps up on many fronts, Philana will take the department—and the entire newsroom—to new heights. Please join me in congratulating her on taking on this important job.
Matt
