Categories: OLD Media Moves

Fenwick’s strategy at Dow Jones/Wall Street Journal

Ken Doctor writes for Nieman Journalism Lab about the changing strategy at Dow Jones & Co., the parent of The Wall Street Journal, under CEO Lex Fenwick.

Doctor writes, “Public attention on Fenwick has focused on two things. One is his management style. Fenwick is universally described as a man who likes to be the decider, a top-down exec in an age where at least the hint of collaboration is nearly universally espoused. Secondly, the information world has been astounded at his remaking of the B2B side of Dow Jones.

“Launched after lots of internal integration at year’s end, DJX has become Dow Jones’ Bloomberg. It’s one product, largely at one price, bringing together its Factiva enterprise information services, the Dow Jones Newswires, and much more. The early reaction to the higher pricing (with some customers being asked to pay three times or more what they previously did) and to the lack of separate product choice has been noteworthy. Cancellations have been reported, but it’s too early to know the overall business impact of the major change.

“What’s important for Journal watchers to know is that the same single-product, single-price strategy now being tested in the B2B marketplace has been applied to the Journal.

“As the application became clear, the exodus began. The Journal has seen dozens of managers leave. Alumni talk about the exodus of summer 2012 and summer 2013. Within six months of Fenwick’s arrival in February 2012, the departures had begun, concentrated early on in and around the Factiva business. Some were forced; many were voluntary. The summer timing wasn’t coincidental: News Corp’s fiscal year ends June 30, and annual bonuses are paid in August. Consequently, it is the last 18 months of the Journal that have seen the greatest change.”

Read more here.

Chris Roush

Chris Roush was the dean of the School of Communications at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut. He was previously Walter E. Hussman Sr. Distinguished Professor in business journalism at UNC-Chapel Hill. He is a former business journalist for Bloomberg News, Businessweek, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Tampa Tribune and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. He is the author of the leading business reporting textbook "Show me the Money: Writing Business and Economics Stories for Mass Communication" and "Thinking Things Over," a biography of former Wall Street Journal editor Vermont Royster.

Recent Posts

Miao to cover China economy for WSJ

Wall Street Journal reporter Hannah Miao is moving to Singapore to cover the China economy.…

5 hours ago

FT taps Foy to cover European banking

Financial Times reporter Simon Foy is now covering European banks. He has been covering accounting for the…

9 hours ago

Debtwire seeks a private credit reporter

Debtwire, the leading provider of global fixed income news, analysis and data for more than…

12 hours ago

BNN Bloomberg anchor Kanwar is departing

Amber Kanwar, an anchor for BNN Bloomberg in Canada, is departing at the end of…

12 hours ago

Moody’s promotes Kantrow to editor in chief

Moody's Ratings has promoted Yvette Kantrow to senior vice president and editor in chief. She has been…

12 hours ago

Politico reporter Fieseler departs

Politico reporter Clare Fieseler is leaving the news organization to take on some ocean reporting projects. She…

12 hours ago