Who will succeed Steiger at the WSJ?

The New York Post is reporting that the recent newsroom talk is that Paul Ingrassia, who currently runs the Dow Jones newswire operations, is the leading candidate to replace managing editor Paul Steiger when he steps down soon. Steiger turns 65 next year.

The move, however, has brought with it some resistance from Steiger, according to the Post.

Post reporter Janet Whitman writes, “Ingrassia, known for running a tight ship at the wires, would be charged with cutting costs at the fiscally challenged Journal, insiders say. Steiger would stay on as executive editor, overseeing the content of the paper, until 2007, when he hits the retirement age of 65, these people say.

“But that plan is believed to have fallen flat because Steiger rebuffed it, worried, as one insider put it, that ‘the place would be gutted.’

“He has refused to stay on as executive editor under the proposed scenario, insiders say, creating a difficult situation for Zannino, the first non-journalist to lead the company.”

Read the Post assignment here.

Ingrassia’s brother Larry is the top business editor at the New York Times.