Robert Thomson

It's a late, sleepy summer Friday, but New York Times online editor Jon Landman has some choice words for Rupert Murdoch, Robert Thomson and The Wall Street Journal's online editor, Alan Murray, this afternoon.

Well, technically speaking, he doesn't name any of those people in his weekly memo, or the paper itself, but in his weekly briefing designed to discuss accomplishments for nytimes.com, he comes out swinging! Namely, he says wsj.com has accomplished nothing!

As Mr.Landman writes:

There's some financial newspaper out there, on Wall Street or maybe in midtown, we aren't sure. There's new ownership, it seems, some rich guy who says he wants his paper to be more like ours.  read more »

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Deputy managing editor Jim Pensiero of The Wall Street Journal just sent an e-mail out to the enitre staff announcing, or clarifying, the roles of everyone on the new masthead of the newspaper working below Robert Thomson, whose title of managing editor is the traditional Journal title for the person on top of the pile.

There are four of them besides Mr. Thomson: Nik Deogun, Mike Miller, Matt Murray Mike Williams.

From the e-mail:

Senior DME/Features/Mike Miller

Key tasks: Senior deputy to the managing editor; responsible for features sections, including Personal Journal, Weekend Journal, Journal Reports and the WSJ magazine.

Works with: National, International and Page One editors.  read more »

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The Wall Street Journal announced this afternoon it will close down most of its editorial operations in South Brunswick, which will mean the elimination of about 50 jobs. In addition, the newly created "news hub" for The Journal in New York will be responsible for editing all content at The Journal--whether it's in the paper, online or in mobile.

In a memo, managing editor Robert Thomson writes, "I realize that this reorganization will be a challenge operationally and, for some of you, personally. It is obvious that the South Brunswick team created in the wake of the September 11 attack is bearing the brunt of these changes.  read more »

This morning in a classroom at the CUNY School of Journalism, Robert Thomson gave his first public speech as managing editor of The Wall Street Journal at a kick-off event for a conference for South Asian Journalists Association.

In Mr. Thomson’s remarks, and in a question-and-answer session that followed, he said The Journal would most likely move to News Corp.’s headquarters next spring, wsj.com would be redesigned in the fall and that, yes, The Journal is still a business paper.

“Is The Wall Street Journal a business newspaper? Of course it is. The first thing we did was increase the international coverage.  read more »

There's a big shake-up at The Wall Street Journal! There are new masthead additions, and revised roles for others.

Robert Thomson sent out a newsroom-wide memo this afternoon announcing that Mike Miller, currently a deputy managing editor at the paper, will become his No. 2. Thomson writes that he "will be responsible for editing the paper if I am otherwise engaged."

There are three new deputy managing editors. Nik Deogun, currently the Money & Investing editor, will become the international editor, while Matt Murray becomes national editor. Mike Williams, already a Page One editor, will retain his role.

Noticably absent from the memo is John Bussey, Washington bureau chief, who was reportedly a leading candidate to replace Marcus Brauchli.  read more »

Two weeks after Robert Thomson took over as editor of the Wall Street Journal, the first masthead editor is leaving the paper. Bill Grueskin, one of the paper's five deputy managing editors, is leaving the Journal behind for a job working directly under Nicholas Lemann at the Columbia Journalism School.

Sources at the paper said it was Mr. Grueskin who wanted to undergo an investigative piece to report why Marcus Brauchli suddenly resigned from the paper. Just over a month later, Mr. Grueskin is gone too.  read more »

We just spoke to Tom Bray, the de facto spokesman of the Wall Street Journal's special committee for independence that has approval rights over new announcements for a managing editor.

"We approved it today," he said.

He said that Mr. Thomson was approved by the committee unanimously and that it was a rolling vote conducted by e-mail and conference call. Mr. Thomson could have been approved with a majority 3-2 for the five-person committee.

He said that the committee was first informed about Mr. Thomson "over a week ago."  read more »

We just caught up with Robert Thomson, who, it was just announced, will be the newspaper's next managing editor, on the phone. "I feel privileged," he said. "I'm looking forward with much excitement to making the Journal, and its news wires, which is the greatest news organization in the world, even greater."

He will move down to the newsroom's ninth floor tomorrow, and will take over chief editing duties over the paper immediately.  read more »

Here's the News Corp. press release. More coming shortly.

Robert Thomson has been appointed Editor-in-Chief of Dow Jones and managing editor of the Wall Street Journal, effective immediately, Rupert Murdoch, Chairman of Dow Jones & company, announced.

The Dow Jones Special Committee today unanimously endorsed Mr. Thomson's appointment following his nomination by the Company last week.

 read more »

Leon Neyfakh wonders who'll replace departing Random House CEO Peter Olson. "Regardless of whom Bertelsmann CEO Hartmut Ostrowski and his 15-person supervisory board appoint to replace Mr. Olson, it is all but certain that Random House will undergo some radical changes." Plus: James Frey.  read more »