Confirmed: Beckett is WSJ’s next DC bureau chief

Wall Street Journal editor Gerard Baker sent out the following announcement on Friday morning:

I am delighted to announce that Paul Beckett is appointed Washington Bureau Chief and a deputy managing editor.

Paul is one of our most accomplished, dynamic and thoughtful journalists. In a career at Dow Jones that has been characterized by remarkable range as well as depth, Paul has established a reputation for unflappable sound judgment, penetrating intelligence, warm collegiality and an unrivaled talent with the karaoke mic.

For the last three years Paul has been Asia Editor, where he has overseen a large team covering events in the world’s most dynamic region. Highlights have included the disappearance of Malaysian Airlines Flight 370, China’s slowing economy and fraying social compact, and the global corruption scandal centered on Malaysia’s 1MDB sovereign investment. He has also led an accelerated digital transformation of Dow Jones and the Journal in Asia.

Paul has form in Washington, having been based there in the late 1990s, covering financial regulation.

He started with the company in 1990 and joined Newswires in 1993, with stints in New York, London, Mexico City and then Washington. He joined the Journal in New York in 1998, covering banking, then moved to London in 2003, where he was bureau chief. In 2007, he moved to New Delhi as South Asia bureau chief. Among other major stories, Paul oversaw coverage of the Mumbai terror attacks in 2008 and the Delhi rape case in 2012. He also started India Real Time in 2013.

Paul is a graduate of Edinburgh University. He is married to journalist Heather Timmons and they have one son, Luther.

Paul will take up his new role at the start of next year. He will report directly to me.