Dow Jones & Co.’s Wall Street Journal last week announced changes in newsroom leadership aimed at unifying and streamlining its print and online offerings.
The changes include the reassignment of Bill Grueskin, managing editor of the Wall Street Journal Online, to position of deputy managing editor for news; the naming of Alan Murray as executive editor for online; and the movement of current Page One editor Mike Miller to deputy managing editor for enterprise journalism.
The reorganization comes at a time of change for the entire industry as more print publications, following the cue of readers and advertisers, shift their focus to online media.
The Wall Street Journal is making efforts to report the news 24/7, across print and online. Mr. Grueskin was tapped for the job largely as a result of his work on the Wall Street Journal Online, where he presided over the site’s growth to nearly 1 million paid subscribers.
Changes in the editorial lineup are the culmination of a long period of transition for the Journal.
The company re-launched the print Journal in January with a new design. Since the redesign, the number of individual subscribers to the Journal has risen 4.5 percent.
Future efforts will focus more on online offerings and digital media, with the intent to distribute the Wall Street Journal across a variety of media channels.
The full restructuring could end in the sale of the company to Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp.
The Wall Street Journal has a rate base circulation of 2.1 million. The Journal franchise includes The Wall Street Journal Asia, The Wall Street Journal Europe and The Wall Street Journal Online. The entire Journal franchise has a total circulation of 2.7 million.
