(image via Reuters)

In the wake of page one editor Alix Freedman's exit, the Wall Street Journal has promoted "from within the luxuriant ranks of [its] home grown talent," as managing editor Robert Thomson put it in an internal memo today.

Deputy managing editor and former China bureau chief Rebecca Blumenstein has been promoted to page one editor.

Matt Murray, another deputy managing editor, will take over Ms. Blumenstein's duties as international/investing editor. Alex Martin has been made a deputy managing editor and national editor, Mr. Murray's previous post.

The memo also references "ambitious international expansion in Europe, Asia and Latin America (and a few other yet-to-be mentioned continents)."

WSJ Antarctica: You heard it here first.

Full memo and complete glittering resumes below.

Dear All,

Our Troika is in transition. Alix Freedman’s exit has created an opportunity for us to promote from within the luxuriant ranks of our homegrown talent.

Rebecca Blumenstein will become Page One Editor and Deputy Managing Editor. She will bring her verve, energy, creativity and logistical acumen to the important task of enterprising journalism, both in landmark projects and in driving the news agenda (not being driven by it). Ambitious journalism is a vital part of our future. Rebecca’s global and digital background will ensure that our stories have maximum impact, here and abroad, and across languages and platforms. She will be traveling and talking far and wide to generate original ideas and pursue angles beyond the means or wit of our competitors.

Rebecca has been a Deputy Managing Editor since December 2009, having previously served as Managing Editor of WSJ.com and as China Bureau Chief. Prior to moving to China in the summer of 2005, she was chief of the Journal’s New York Technology Group after serving as the group’s deputy chief. She joined the Journal in 1995 as a reporter in the Detroit bureau.  She began her journalism career at the Tampa Tribune, and then later moved to Gannett Newspapers and Newsday.

As a reporter, Rebecca has been honored by New York Newswomen, the Gerald Loeb Awards and oversaw the China team that won the Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting in 2007.  She holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and social science from the University of Michigan, where she was editor-in-chief of the Michigan Daily.

Matt Murray takes Rebecca’s post as International/Investing Editor and Deputy Managing Editor. He comes to this crucial job just as we are embarking on ambitious international expansion in Europe, Asia and Latin America (and a few other yet-to-be mentioned continents). His news sense, leadership and editing skills will assist colleagues here and around the globe, and his passion for the pursuit of great stories will ensure an extra shot of adrenaline for all under his tender care.

He has been Deputy Managing Editor and National Editor for The Wall Street Journal since June 2008, and previously served as general news editor, a national news editor and earlier as deputy editor and senior special writer for the management group. He joined the company in April 1994 as a reporter in the Pittsburgh bureau. Matt is the author of “The Father and the Son,” a 1999 book based on his 1995 Journal article—a memoir about his father and his entrance into a monastery. Born in Washington, D.C., Matt received both a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University.

Alex Martin becomes Deputy Managing Editor and National Editor, succeeding Matt. Alex is a true pro, with a touch of lateral genius beneath that fashionable facial stubble. He has run a newsroom in the not-too-distant past and excelled in developing and editing enterprise reporting on Page One – he also played a pivotal role in the fashioning of the splendidly successful Greater New York section.

He joined the Journal in 2005 as deputy editor of Marketplace. He worked at Newsday from 1989 to 2005, where he held a number of positions, including assistant managing editor for investigations, features and coverage of Long Island. In 1996, he helped lead Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage of the crash of TWA Flight 800. A native of New Orleans, Alex began his career at the St. Francisville Democrat in St. Francisville, La., followed by eight years at the Times-Picayune in New Orleans. Alex graduated with a bachelor’s from Louisiana State University.

 

Robert.

The line of questioning has been predictable: Here comes the web encroaching on traditional media business models--how do you tame it for your own financial ends?

Mr. Sulzberger, on his first answer, chose to emphasize the connection that the Old Gray Lady has with its long-time print subscribers, never mind the web.

"Print circulation is not going away," he said. "What we're seeing and what I think everyone is seeing is an erosion in single-copy sales. For core subscribers to print--and those are people who have received home delivery for two years or more--our studies show that if you are a home delivery subscriber to The New York Times for two years or more, we pretty much have you for life. And that number's been going up. That number four or five years ago was 650,000 people. That number today is almost 840,000 people.

"That is an enormously stable base from which to continue to leverage our journalistic activities."

Mr. Sulzberger was later asked to project The Times' business models a few years down the road. He demurred and then plunged into an analogy.

"I don't know if any of you are river rafters," he said, "but it's one of the sports that I most enjoy. And if you've done it, you know that if you come around the turn you know that the most dangerous thing you can do is say, 'oh, the next turn is to the left' or 'the next rapids are to the right.' If you don't stay flexible and united on your team, you're going to find yourself making the wrong call and going down the wrong way.

Soon it was Robert Thomson's turn. The Wall Street Journal managing editor and Dow Jones chief, in response to a question on the overall strategy regarding the paper's recent expansions (Greater New York, the magazine, et al), cited the Journal's rise in ad revenues and its pay model--one paywall, many things on the other side of it--and then ankled toward Mr. Sulzberger's analogical territory.

"There are two basic trends at work in our world: digitization and globalization," Mr. Thomson said. "And if you raft with those currents, you'll be carried a long way. If you attempt to swim against them, you won't get anywhere."

Betabeat then split for the bathroom. Kidding! The first-ever e-G8 summit wraps tonight. Our previous coverage here: http://tinyurl.com/3u39ljy

tacitelli@observer.com :: @tacitelli

When his conversation was over, we fell into walking with the charming Australian as he headed for the tent's entrance.

"Are you speaking at the summit?"

"Tomorrow," Mr. Thomson said.

"On what panel?"

"About disintermediation."

"O.K., and what--wait, what is that?"

"Disintermediation," he repeated with a chuckle. "Getting rid of the middle person."

"But that's us!"

"That's us," he said. "You and me. We're being disintermediated--or are we just being dissed?"

"Certainly."

"Some people try to put the 'diss' into disintermediator."

"And what do you think?"

Mr. Thomson paused, slowed his gait at the entrance, and placed a hand on each of Off the Record's shoulders, seemingly trying to steer us gently away. "Oh, I think there's a great future for great journalists."

tacitelli@observer.com :: @tacitelli

The New York Times' Bill Keller edged out the Wall Street Journal's Robert Thomson at #26, but Mr. Thomson finished right behind him at #27. VF notes that Mr. Thomson never misses a chance to "skewer" The Times, which is definitely one of our favorite things about him. 

Arthur Sulzberger Jr. didn't make the cut, but there is Rupert Murdoch. Even though Mr. Murdoch's salary is down, he's up three spots on the list to #4.

Other notable media personalities on the list (their ranking last year is in parenthesis):

4. Rupert Murdoch, News Corp. (7)
10. John Malone, Liberty Media (21)
13. Jeff Bewkes, Time Warner (46)
14. Bob Iger, Disney (32)
21. Brian Roberts, Comcast (63)
22. Jeffrey Katzenberg, DreamWorks Animation (41)
26. Bill Keller, The New York Times (75)
27. Robert Thomson, The Wall Street Journal (new)
28. Dan Doctoroff, Bloomberg L.P. (new)
29. Jon Stewart, The Daily Show (48)
38. Steve Burke, Comcast (new)
42. Arianna Huffington, the Huffington Post (88)
53. Mike Allen, Politico (new)
54. Gretchen Morgenson, The New York Times (new)
59. Howard Stringer, Sony Corp. (51)
60. Jann Wenner, Wenner Media (returning)
63. Tom Freston, Firefly3 (57)
64. Leslie Moonves, CBS (58)
67. Philippe Dauman, Viacom (53)
77. Frank Rich, The New York Times (83)
82. Michael Moritz, Sequoia Capital (70)
93. Nikki Finke, Deadline Hollywood (new)

The Vanity Fair 100: The New Establishment 2010 [VF]

 
From: Thomson, Robert
To: WSJ All News Staff
Sent: Tue Jul 27 11:01:44 2010
Subject: Deborah Needleman

To All:

I am delighted to announce the appointment of Deborah Needleman to a
newly created role in which she will serve as editor-in-chief of WSJ.
magazine and editor of a new weekly Saturday lifestyle section, about
which we must necessarily be somewhat discreet, for now.

Deborah - who was founding editor of domino magazine - will succeed
Tina Gaudoin at WSJ., which has thrived as other magazines have
struggled during the downturn. The content of the new Saturday section
will complement that of the magazine, so Deborah will be able to
exercise her knowing eye and refined taste in overseeing and
developing both publications.

There have been sightings of Deborah on the fourth floor in New York,
as she has been consulting on the soon-to-be-launched section. She has
shown in her past work that glossies need not be panglossian, and the
new section will have a sensibility that separates it qualitatively
from the competition.

As we welcome Deborah, we should also recognize Tina's significant
achievements. To sculpt a successful magazine in such harsh economic
conditions is remarkable. Tina will begin her new role as contributing
editor for style and fashion for The Wall Street Journal Europe in
London after polishing the September and October issues. Upon assuming
her new role on September 1, Deborah, who will report to Mike Miller,
will begin fashioning the December issue.

Please join me in welcoming Deborah and lauding Tina.

Robert.

Ms. Needleman replaces Tina Gaudoin, who ran WSJ. since it launched in 2008 until this summer, when she stepped down to return to Europe to work on fashion coverage for the Journal.

Here's the release:

NEW YORK, July 27, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Wall Street Journal has named Deborah Needleman to a newly created role in which she will serve as editor in chief of WSJ., the Journal's glossy lifestyle magazine, and editor of a new weekly Saturday lifestyle section in development for the Journal for the fall.

Effective September 1, Ms. Needleman, founding editor of domino magazine for Condé Nast, will oversee all editorial content in the magazine while also managing the new lifestyle section, for which she has been serving as a consultant. Ms. Needleman will report to Mike Miller, senior deputy managing editor of the Journal.

"Deborah has shown in the originality, professionalism and energy of her development work in recent months that she is the perfect person to lead the next phase of the magazine's expansion and to create a Saturday section unique in both character and content," said Robert Thomson, editor in chief of Dow Jones & Company and managing editor of The Wall Street Journal.

"I am thrilled to be taking on this role at the Journal," said Ms. Needleman. "There is great momentum and energy at the paper, and a mandate for innovation, and I am excited to be a part of it."

WSJ. magazine launched in September 2008 and provides the Journal's notable take on fashion, art, travel, philanthropy, architecture, food and more, and offers unparalleled access to industry leaders and newsmakers. WSJ. appears globally six times per year as part of the Journal's Weekend Edition and is distributed to a U.S. circulation of 1.5 million, with an additional circulation of 160,000 outside the U.S. in copies of The Wall Street Journal Europe and The Wall Street Journal Asia.

The next issue of WSJ. magazine is scheduled to appear on Saturday, September 11, with issues to follow in October and December. Content from WSJ. is available online via WSJ.com/magazine.

The short list of replacements, according to WWD:

Among those said to be in the running are Marie Claire editor in chief Joanna Coles, as well as Jay Fielden, former editor of Men's Vogue, Horacio Silva, online director of T: The New York Times Style Magazine, Julie L. Belcove, the former deputy editor of W and Deborah Needleman, the former Domino editor.

The glossy also lost its executive editor Owen Philips earlier this week to The Hollywood Reporter, but the editor will likely pick his or her own number two.

Ms. Needleman has to be the favorite, and she is probably the biggest name. She is already at work on a weekend lifestyle section for the Journal, and Mr. Thomson would like to see the magazine pursue female readers more aggressively, according to WWD sources. There is also talk of increasing the magazine's frequency. Given her experience, Ms. Needleman would be more than comfortable leading both of these charges.

In Sarah Ellison's War at the Wall Street Journal, Rupert Murdoch spends one of his first days at the Journal's office looking at mock-ups for the magazine. He said that he got the idea to add a weekend fashion magazine after watching his wife Wendi page through similar magazines just to look at the ads.

"We wanted to produce more than a catalog of things to buy," Ms. Gaudoin told the audience at the launch of the fall of 2008. "We wanted to respect the audience's respect for money."

Ms. Needleman said that she wanted to marry irreverence and utility in the new lifestyle weekend section. "It needs to be a pleasure to read and to look at, but you really have to get something out of it," she told Ad Age last month.

A spokesperson for the Journal told the Observer earlier this week that there was no timetable yet for replacing Ms. Gaudoin.

And if you thought The Times' letter was catty? Well, this raises the ante a bit more. And even though the letter is signed by Dow Jones marketing head Jennifer Jehn, we certainly sense some Australian flair (ahem, Robert Thomson) in this letter.

Update: Alas, the "Street" War looks like it's coming to an end. Times Company spokesman Bob Christie has told us that the Times will not pursue legal action. "They have stopped," he said in an email. "We wish they would understand that theft of intellectual property is no joke."

Here is the rather entertaining letter:

Dear Mr. Samson:

We half-expected to hear from you. The other half thought you might have more important things to worry about.

When we saw the "catchy" phrase, we couldn't help but think you were referring to the launch of our Greater New York section - the whole point of which is to cover New York beyond Wall Street.

After all, did you not have us in mind when you conceived the ad?

I won't belabor your legal claim. Our lawyers tell us that we were within our rights to use the tag line to compare our two offerings.

And are you seriously suggesting New Yorkers might be confused into thinking you were affiliated with or endorsing our New York section? We are not holding our breath for that to happen.

But don't be too concerned. We never intended to run the ad for long.

We think we've made our point. And to get a rise out of you is just a special bonus.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Jehn

Here's the recap:

From: Ng, Serena
Sent: Monday, May 24, 2010 3:06 PM

         CENTRAL PARK, NY -- The Wall Street Journal softball team trounced Bloomberg News 26-1 last Saturday in a lopsided match-up marked by a noteworthy debut. 
         On an overcast morning, the WSJ team, recently named the "Capitalists," arrived at Central Park's North Meadow to find editor-in-chief Robert Thomson playing soccer with his sons.  As he observed the teams warming up, Mr. Thomson--no relation to Bobby Thomson of New York Giants fame--exhorted Journal players to ensure they would win the game.
        WSJ didn't disappoint, scoring 10 runs in the first two innings and piling on more throughout the game. Solid pitching from Pat Macri and Chris Morino, and a strong defense anchored by short-stop Russell Adams and second basewoman Shira Ovide, prevented Bloomberg from scoring for most of the game. WSJ sluggers Paul Glader, Darren Everson, Tom McGinty, Serena Ng and Mark Whitehouse aided the offense with multiple hits.
        In the bottom 6th inning, with WSJ leading 20-1, Mr. Thomson got up to pinch hit. Grabbing a bat, he mimicked a cricket swing and asked co-captain and senior editor Mike Siconolfi if that would work before stepping up to the plate. "Whatever it takes," replied Mr. Siconolfi.   
        Crouching at home plate, Mr. Thomson swung at the first pitch that came his way, lining a ball down the middle for a base hit. He later scored on a triple by first baseman Moo Lim. After the game, an impressed Bloomberg staffer commented that they ought to get Matt Winkler out to next year's game.
        The recent victory over Bloomberg, and the previous weekend's 27-1 win over a team from Newsweek/Slate, pushes WSJ win-loss record so far this season to 3-1. Two weeks ago, WSJ lost 11-15 to league opponent DC Comics, which is currently leading the New York Media Softball League in wins. The next game is on June 12.
        --30--

Just as Mr. Murdoch was taking over, it was Mr. Thomson who told Mr. Brauchli he should ask for a big salary. When Mr. Brauchli took over the editing duties, it was Mr. Thomson who warned him that Mr. Murdoch had an obsession with beating the Times. When Mr. Brauchli found out he was being removed, Mr. Thomson said he would be taken care of financially (to the tune of $6.4 million). The day that Mr. Brauchli found out he was being pushed out, he grabbed a drink with Mr. Thomson:

That night, Brauchli and Thomson, who had become friendly as young reporters in Asia, went out for a drink at Moran's Irish bar, a nearby newsroom watering hole. "This makes no sense," Brauchli said. He had been making changes to the paper, doing much of what he thought Murdoch wanted. But Thomson knew his boss too well. "The precipitating fact is the change in ownership," he said. "It's obvious."

It's an intriguing relationship.

Back in 2007, when it was becoming an inevitiability that the two were going to wind up working together, we wrote a story about what the two friends/rivals looked like in Tokyo in the late 80s and early 90s (Mr. Brauchli worked for The Journal, Mr. Thomson for the Financial Times).

(In essence: Mr. Brauchli was the hard-working, wonky type; Mr. Thomson was the charming laconic one).

In any event, the guy with the skinny ties won, and Mr. Brauchli would take over The Washington Post.

The excerpt also has a fantastic look at Mr. Murdoch's day when the world found out that Marcus Brauchli was being pushed out. Ms. Ellison just happened to be traveling with Mr. Murdoch at the time.