WSJ’s Grimaldi departing for National Catholic Reporter

James V. Grimaldi, a multiple Pulitzer Prize winner and investigative reporter for The Wall Street Journal, has been named the new executive editor of the National Catholic Reporter.

Grimaldi is set to start Sept. 16. He will report to Joe Ferullo, CEO and publisher.

Grimaldi will oversee all aspects of NCR’s editorial content, including breaking, enterprise and investigative reporting, while adhering to NCR’s forward-looking vision and its reputation for excellence in journalism.

A leading force on the Journal’s investigations desk based in Washington, Grimaldi delivered accountability reporting that uncovered critical stories for the Journal – and before that at The Washington Post – about money, politics, influence peddling, corruption and law-breaking by federal judges and government officials.

He is the fifth journalist on the team that won the Pulitzer Prize to leave the Journal since the “Capital Assets” series was published and won in 2023.

“NCR’s great tradition of accountability and investigative reporting exposed grievous wrongs that led the Church to confront and respond to its sexual abuse scandal,” said Grimaldi in a statement. “That fearless journalism is vitally needed as the United States remains divided on cultural issues, the American church reflects those divisions and the global Church approaches a crossroads near the end of the Francis papacy.”

With about 1 million unique online readers monthly, the publication has a staff of 40 that has distinguished itself as a key source of independent and investigative reporting regarding the Catholic church. In 1985, NCR was the first to report on the clergy abuse scandal. In recent years, the news outlet’s investigations have included examinations of diocesan mismanagement as well as links between conservative donors and several U.S. church and church-affiliated groups.

Grimaldi has worked on three projects that won the Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting His team at the Journal was awarded the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting for exposing conflicts of interest among senior federal officials. At The Washington Post, Grimaldi and two colleagues won the investigative-reporting Pulitzer in 2006 for exposing the Jack Abramoff bribery scandal. He also contributed to a Pulitzer won in 1996 by the Orange County Register in California.

At NCR, Grimaldi steps into a position that had been vacant. He will oversee and guide NCR’s editorial operation from Washington.