WSJ editor Murray: We had a “banner” year in 2018

Wall Street Journal editor in chief Matt Murray sent out the following announcement to the staff:

Dear Colleagues:

Thanks to all of you, The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones just wrapped up a banner year. Your journalism is bringing us more readers than ever before. The newsroom advanced on multiple fronts, from our expanding leadership team to new products to progress in areas such as recruitment and training.

Most important, you produced a tremendous amount of distinguished, insightful, engaging, useful, exclusive and significant journalism, and  reached a few milestones, in all our coverage areas, so much that any one note can’t quite capture it all, no matter how many words I try to jam into this

sentence to extend it so I can include links to as much of it as possible.

Though holidays make some people grumpy, a new year offers a brief moment to reflect on what’s been accomplished together. All of you should feel tremendous pride in what you achieved in 2018. And we enter 2019 with momentum, energy and excitement.

That success means that we also must raise the bar higher this year. In an era of continual disruption, we must be faster, scrappier, more innovative and more aggressive. Among other priorities, the new year will bring a renewed focus on technology, product and strategy; a daily podcast and higher ambitions for video (including our first long-form documentary); and a continued push in live journalism and professional products. We urgently need to deepen our engagement with longtime devotees and subscribers even as we amp up efforts to draw new readers.

Most of all, we have to keep producing the world’s best and most distinguished journalism. That means breaking more exclusive stories in our coverage areas while also expanding our ambitions. The opportunity–and frankly the need–for journalism that is factual, fair, first, reported, deep and insightful remains enormous. Because we cover the forces that shape the world, especially business, markets and economics, we have a unique role to play in helping our current and future members navigate an uncertain and fast-changing era. Millions of ambitious people trust us to keep them informed. It is a profound and privileged mission, and it’s crucial that we continue to get better at fulfilling it–while resisting the corrosive forces both inside and outside journalism that threaten the industry.

If we get this right together, the Journal and Dow Jones are poised for greater growth ahead.

Thank you for all you do every day of the year. This is a special place to work, with a strong culture, because of your talent, collegiality, and hard work. I’m deeply grateful to all of you, proud to be your colleague and incredibly excited for the year to come.        — Matt