Categories: OLD Media Moves

Why WSJ publisher Crovitz bailed

Jeff Bercovici of Conde Nast Portfolio speculates as to why Wall Street Journal publisher Gordon Crovitz stepped down from his position, just before News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch completed his acquisition of its parent, Dow Jones & Co.

Gordon Crovitz Apparently, Crovitz was willing to stick around with the new ownership, but not the way that Murdoch designed the hierarchy.

Bercovici wrote, “Though [new publisher Robert] Thomson will inherit his title, his job description will be substantially different: He’ll oversee editorial matters, not business.

“So why send Crovitz packing without truly replacing him? In fact, says a source with detailed knowledge of the Journal‘s operations, that was never the plan. Thomson’s job was originally conceived as overseeing both Crovitz and managing editor Marcus Brauchli, but Crovitz balked at the idea of reporting to Thomson rather than to the CEO. (Crovitz never returned a call for comment.) Thomson’s lack of business-side experience suggests that the Journal will need to find someone to assume Crovitz’s responsibilities, and fast.”

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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.