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Robert J. Thompson, publisher of the Wall Street Journal, has been named the paper’s top editor. He will take the place of Marcus W. Brauchli, who left the post of managing editor less than a year after taking the job.
Brauchli was forced out just months after the takeover of the Journal by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. Thomson, formerly top editor of The Times of London, is reportedly one of Murdoch’s top advisors. Thomson took on the role of publisher when Murdoch took control of the paper five months ago, but he had none of the usual publisher-related duties, according to The New York Times. Rather, he saw himself as “the head of content” and had a hand in directing news coverage and deciding the paper’s new direction, which was seen as undercutting Brauchli’s authority.
The Journal has been undergoing a shift in focus since Murdoch’s takeover, with shorter articles, more general news reporting, and more coverage of politics and sports, in the hopes of broadening its appeal. Cosmetic changes to the paper are expected soon, as well, and the number of reporters overseas will be increased.
Thomson and Murdoch have said that the editor-to-journalist ratio is too high, and a shift in balance is expected in the newsroom soon.
The oversight committee, created when Murdoch took control of the company to ensure the editorial integrity of the paper is maintained, approved Thomson’s appointment as managing editor unanimously.
All sectors of the media business will suffer from the weakened economy in 2008 and 2009, with a slump in local advertising particularly hurting newspapers and local TV, according to a new projection from Goldman Sachs.
Broadcast nets will experience…
The New York Times is shuttering its International Herald Tribune site; NYTimes.com will soon host the international news normally reserved for its sister website.
The move is not about cost savings, but rather about growth, NYTimes.com general manager Vivian Schiller…
Unilever’s Vaseline set forth on an unusual research project in a small town in Alaska. Setting up a storefront, the company began giving away free bottles of lotion and asking recipients to name the person who had recommended they come…
Meet the Press, the show hosted by Tim Russert for 17 years before his death last June, is beginning to slip in ratings.
Last month, CBS’s Face the Nation pulled ahead of Meet the Press for the first time in two…
Bloggers collectively create nearly one million blog posts each day, and half of bloggers believe blogs will be a primary source of news and entertainment in the next five years, according to Technorati’s 2008 State of the Blogosphere Report, MarketingCharts writes.…
Wal-Mart and Costco reported same-store gains in September, with sales rising 2.4% and 9% respectively. Sales at Target stores open at least a year fell 3%, writes Retailer Daily.
Below, fiscal results from the discount retail giants:
Sales of food and…
