New WSJ magazine to be called Pursuits

Richard Perez-Pena of The New York Times writes for Monday’s paper that The Wall Street Journal will launch next year Pursuits, a glossy monthly magazine about the lifestyles of the rich, in hopes of drawing more ads for expensive consumer goods.

The Pursuits name had been used by the paper as the name of a section in its weekend paper until this past weekend.

Perez-Pena wrote, “Robert Frank, a Journal columnist and blogger and author of the book ‘Richistan,’ about wealthy America, is the leading candidate to become editor of Pursuits, according to Dow Jones executives who spoke on condition of anonymity. The magazine will have a staff of its own, but will also draw on work by The Journal’s writers.

“The first issue will appear next September as an insert in the Journal’s Saturday edition. It will go to about 800,000 Journal subscribers — those in the 18 metropolitan areas where the newspaper sells the most copies — out of the newspaper’s total circulation of more than 2 million, and will also be available on The Journal’s Web site.

“In a Dow Jones news release to be issued today, Marcus W. Brauchli, The Journal’s managing editor, said, ‘Pursuits will offer compelling journalism, vivid imagery and an unmatched guide to wealth, fashion, collecting and travel.'”

Read more here. And here is The Journal’s brief story on the magazine.