Two biz journalists leaving WSJ/Dow Jones London bureau

Two prominent financial journalists left the Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones Newswires operations in London on Friday.

Nicholas Hastings was a senior correspondent for Dow Jones Newswires, as well as a host of “News Hub GMT,” a a 20-minute video show on WSJ.com. He has written about foreign exchange for more than 25 years.

Martin Essex was a managing editor at Dow Jones Newswires in London, with responsibility for financial markets coverage in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. He is a regular contributor to The Wall Street Journal and wsj.com.

Both say that they are leaving full-time journalism for a while.

“Am taking a break and then going to look at options, see what comes along,” said Hastings in an email to Talking Biz News on Friday.

Essex, who is the co-author of a book on the bond markets, said, “I haven’t decided yet: maybe freelance, downsize, go traveling or maybe all three. Might even take another job if something sufficiently interesting comes along.”

Essex, pictured, also previously worked for the BBC and for Reuters.

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.