WSJ, Dow Jones name news desk deputies

The following announcement was sent to the Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones Newswires staff on Thursday afternoon by managing editor Robert Thomson:

I am pleased to announce the appointment of four Real-Time Deputies who will lead efforts on the news desks to enhance coverage for readers of WSJ.com and Dow Jones Newswires. The Gang of Four are: Sheila Courter for the National desk; Brian Hershberg for Money & Investing; Eduardo Kaplan for the World desk; and Erin White for Corporate.

Our new e-ensemble will ensure that readers get the maximum benefit from the integration of print and online operations particularly as we continue to develop content for an already dizzying array of digital devices. Our basic strategy is to have a single cost of content but many potential platforms and languages for its presentation, so the quartet will be responsible for bolstering intraday news coverage, coordinating the initial response to breaking news, and ensuring that quality content flows swiftly to the Web and Newswires and into the iPad and other devices.

The deputies will roll up their sleeves and edit copy and be able to produce Web pages, but the real test of their e-efficacy will be in ensuring that there is even more cooperation and a stronger current of content between and among the various platforms. Dow Jones already has genuine integration far beyond that of its competitors but we have no cause for complacency given that we are in the midst of mass migration in mass media.

The Real-Time Deputies will report to the desk chiefs – Sam, Adam, Elyse and Bill. They will also report to WSJ.com chief news editor Christine Glancey and Newswires’ senior editor for the Americas, Steve Wisnefski.

From her position on the National desk, Sheila has helped to oversee U.S. news online coverage over the past year. Prior to that she served in many roles in the newsroom, including hub desk chief and day editor, page-one slot, deputy copy chief and night editor. She has a bachelor’s from Villanova University and a master’s in journalism from Temple University. Sheila joined the company in 1993.

Since joining the Journal in 2002, Brian has worked in various capacities on the markets desk, the news desk and the copy desk. Brian edits and coordinates the Money & Investing section’s quarterly market reviews and the annual Best on the Street project, which he will continue to mastermind in his new role. Brian graduated with a degree in journalism from the College of New Jersey and began his reporting and editing career at the Courier-Post in Cherry Hill, N.J.

Eduardo joined Dow Jones in 1996 and started the first Spanish-language news service at Newswires. Since then he has held several editorial positions, including editor for Latin America and deputy managing editor and managing editor for Money coverage at Newswires. Prior to Dow Jones he worked at Scripps-Howard’s United Media, a newspaper syndicate. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Hunter College in English.

Erin is currently management & careers editor for print and online. She launched the successful management section of WSJ.com in 2008. Prior to that, she was a management reporter, covered advertising and retail out of London, and reported on media & marketing in New York. Erin started at the Journal as an intern with the law group in 1998. She has a degree from Yale.

Please join me in congratulating the four new deputies and wishing them the best in their crucial new assignments.