Pettit named editorial ventures editor at WSJ

Matt Murray, executive editor of The Wall Street Journal, sent out the following announcement on Tuesday:

All: It is overdue for me to announce that Dave Pettit has taken on the job of Editorial Ventures Editor, a new role in our evolving newsroom in which Dave is overseeing a number of important content initiatives. Dave has led expansive ventures in recent years that have pushed our journalism into new areas and formats and resonated strongly with potential and existing readers, including our recent e-book on taxes, the most popular e-book ever for WSJ+ members; a series of data-driven listings with reports such as those for colleges and tech, which have proven widely popular and brought in more than 2,000 new subscribers; expansion of our financial-inclusion initiative into the US for the first time this year; and several new types of events including Pro events and the event/trip on which we partnered with National Geographic.

These are innovative, challenging and labor-intensive projects that require editorial skill and judgment. Dave has demonstrated time and again his ability to conceive of new ventures and see them through to completion.

In taking these and other projects on more formally, Dave will continue working closely with editors and reporters across the newsroom as he always has, especially with Meg Marco, Carla Zanoni, Nikki Waller and Larry Rout and a wide array of bureaus and coverage areas. He reports to me.

Dave has long been a leader in the digital development of The Journal. He was part of the original team that launched WSJ.com, where he spent nearly 14 years in senior roles helping to drive news coverage and develop the Journal’s online presence. As deputy editor of WSJ.com, Dave oversaw digital and multimedia expansion and led a redesign project that dramatically enhanced use of visuals and data on WSJ.com. More recently, he developed coverage areas and products for the Journal for the professional market, including the first WSJ Pro coverage verticals. Dave was digital transformation project leader for an initiative that was a precursor to the WSJ2020 transformation now. He began his career as an editor and reporter for Dow Jones Newswires, covering Wall Street and securities regulation. Outside of the Journal, Dave is an adjunct professor at CUNY Graduate School of Journalism and is a volunteer in his New Jersey community.

Please join me in congratulating Dave and thanking him for the work he does to extend our journalism.

Matt