More reporters, fewer editors coming to WSJ

Richard Perez-Pena of the New York Times writes Wednesday that the naming of Robert Thomson as the new managing editor of The Wall Street Journal likely means more reporters and fewer editors at the paper.

Perez-Pena writes, “Going forward, Mr. Thomson will make cosmetic changes to The Journal soon, and will expand the newswires staff, particularly the number of reporters overseas, according to a person briefed on his plans, who insisted on anonymity because the News Corporation had not approved the release of the information.

“He and Mr. Murdoch have also told colleagues that they see The Journal as having too many editors relative to the number of reporters, so a shift in that balance is expected in the newsroom.

“In an interview more than a year ago, two days after Mr. Murdoch’s bid for Dow Jones became public, he said he did not plan to transplant any of the editors of his other papers to The Journal and that he admired those who were already running the paper. But he added that he would call on Mr. Thomson, the top editor of The Times of London since 2002, for advice in running The Journal. The Times of London is also owned by the News Corporation.”

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