WSJ seeking Europe reporters

Wall Street Journal international editor Matt Murray sent out the following staff request on Friday morning:

The Wall Street Journal is seeking two reporters for its Brussels bureau, a crucial crossroads of one of the biggest stories on the planet. As the center of the European Union, the city has been the focus of a crisis barely imaginable two years ago, which is calling the survival of the euro zone and even of the European Union into question. The EU faces decisions that could bring its member states closer or break the union apart — and ricochet across the world’s economies.

We are looking for two experienced reporters who can bring Brussels to life, people who are able to describe both the human drama at the highest levels of government and among ordinary people on the street. We are seeking people who also are comfortable translating complex economic and financial issues into plain English, breaking news and telling people things they do not know.

Versatility also is desirable, as the euro-zone crisis is not all we write about. The EU is deeply involved in matters such as trade policy, competition, corporate and financial regulation, the policing of the Internet and foreign affairs. The bureau also is called on to write about non-EU matters, including the affairs of Belgium, which is currently distinguishing itself for setting a record for lacking a government. Brussels itself sits at the heart of Europe, with easy access to everything from government ministers to culture and, of course, the world’s best frites.

The successful candidates will join a joint WSJ-Dow Jones Newswires bureau and will be expected to produce stories for everything from the Journal’s front page to FX scoops, as well as contribute to our online multimedia outlets and a lively blog. We’re looking a record of breaking news Fluency in French, or another major European language, is also trés désirable, but not mandatory. We anticipate that one reporter would be largely focused on economic issues, with the other able to step in when necessary, but we are flexible on defining the exact duties depending on the candidates.