WSJ wants more “on the news” pieces from investigative team

The Wall Street Journal wants its investigative team to produce more “on the news” pieces that can be turned around quickly, reports Daniel Lippmann of Politico.

Lippmann reports, “One source said there is ‘huge apprehension about the new mandate’ and there is a sense that editors want more stories from the team. The unit is ‘going through a giant upheaval’ with recent turnover, the person added. ‘It was clear that Emma doesn’t have the patience for careful, thoughtful enterprise,’ added a person who’s recently left the paper.

“After longtime investigative editor Mike Siconolfi left, Tucker picked one of his deputies, Christopher Stewart, to take over even though he had several years less editing experience than the other deputy, Jennifer Forsyth, who then left to head up D.C. investigations for the N.Y. Times. While the job posting asked for ‘at least 10 years experience managing reporters at a very high level,’ Stewart, who was seen as having the internal track on getting the job, was chosen even though he had only been an editor for seven years.

“On Monday, the Journal’s investigative team was also dealt a blow after the paper was shut out of either being a winner or a finalist for the Pulitzers for the first time since 2018.

“‘Our investigative team is bringing its considerable skills to bear on a range of investigative stories,’ a WSJ spokesperson said in a statement.

“‘Some of those will be long-planned projects; others will come about because the world changes and news develops. All will be ambitious stories driven by investigative muscle and investigative techniques.'”

Read more here.