How the WSJ is trying to attract more female readers

Ebony Reed, the new audiences chief at The Wall Street Journal, writes about the newspaper’s strategy to attract more female readers.

Reed writes, “Stemming from the event, senior Journal editors collaborated on a newsletter that launched in spring of 2019. At first, the newsletter was sent to a few hundred former Women in the Workplace attendees. Now, it reaches thousands of women each week with a curated selection of Journal stories across management, finance, technology, arts and culture.

“Building off this momentum, the Live Journalism team added a series of monthly events designed for professional women, tackling topics such as caregiving, the impact of racial reckoning on company culture and managing career pivots. These online gatherings included interviews and small group breakout sessions.

“‘As our live journalism moved into the virtual space, we saw a unique opportunity to reach a broader cohort of Journal readers who craved practical, tactical tips on navigating the current business and cultural climate, while looking for connection to one another,’ said Kim Last, live journalism & special content editor. ‘We designed our monthly series with these readers in mind. Our annual forum was redesigned to not only highlight sharp, newsmaking interviews but also cater to the topics female professionals care about, with the hope to generate fodder for connection.’

“Several of the women who attended those events were already familiar with the Women In newsletter, which is published on Thursdays and includes a short welcome every week by me or Nikki Waller, deputy coverage chief for corporate news.”

Read more here.