WSJ’s Olster to join NY Times international desk

New York Times international editor Michael Slackman sent out the following announcement on Tuesday:

When Marjorie Olster told her editors at The Wall Street Journal that she had accepted a position on the International desk of The Times, I received an email from one of her soon-to-be former editors. The subject category said it all: “Congratulations on Marjorie … sigh!”

We are delighted to announce that Marjorie will be bringing her years of experience as a correspondent and editor to The Times. She spent 14 years overseas, working from Israel, Spain, Egypt and Lebanon for Reuters, The Associated Press and The Wall Street Journal.

She has reported on Palestinian, Iranian and Arab Spring uprisings, both Gulf wars and the 9/11 attacks. As an editor, Marjorie worked in New York for The A.P. and The Journal, and helped guide coverage of the recent wars in Syria, Iraq, Libya and Yemen.

Marjorie is moving back to New York from Beirut and is expected to start with us on March 1. Once she is settled in, she will work closely with our weekend maestro, Bryant Rousseau, and will eventually take responsibility for guiding the Sunday report. Marjorie will also play a key role in editing our Middle East coverage with a special emphasis on Israel, the West Bank and Gaza.

In addition to the news, Marjorie is passionate about music. She was born and raised in Miami to a musical family, plays the piano and guitar, and has even been known to occasionally perform on Middle Eastern hand drums in the U.S. and abroad.

Let’s give her a warm welcome.

— Michael