Bloomberg implements changes at media company

Nina Jones and Alexandra Steigrad of Women’s Wear Daily write about the changes at Bloomberg’s media operations, including the return of a system that tracks when employees arrive and leave work and the hiring of new editor in chief John Micklethwait.

Jones and Steigrad write, “Although his pedigree fits the Bloomberg model — Micklethwait worked at The Economist for 27 years in various reporting and editing roles before taking the editorship in 2006 — many staffers at the financial data and media firm thought Laurie Hays eventually would be given the top spot since she serves as senior executive editor at Bloomberg News, where she supervises more than 1,100 reporters and oversees global coverage of markets, finance, companies, government and economy. Hays joined Bloomberg in 2008, following a 23-year career at The Wall Street Journal, so perhaps the former mayor wanted to bring someone in with a different outlook (not to mention a different accent).

“How Micklethwait will steer Bloomberg remains to be seen, but those who know the ‘intellectual’ editor told WWD that he could shift the culture of the organization.

“Tim de Lisle, editor of Intelligent Life, The Economist’s bimonthly culture and lifestyle magazine, described Micklethwait’s style as editor as ‘tactical and practical, with a sharp eye for the bigger picture,’ noting that the editor swiftly adapted the title to the digital landscape and has ‘staunchly’ upheld the church-state distinction, ‘one of the glories of The Economist.’

“‘He will have about 20 times as many editorial staff, so he will have to be hands-off. He will have more power and probably less influence: The Economist punches above its weight; Bloomberg, not so much. But that may be precisely why they’ve hired him,’ de Lisle said.”

Read more here.