Rupert Murdoch has named Robert J Thomson as the top editor of The Wall Street Journal, shifting one of his most trusted advisers from the publisher’s chair into one of the most important editorial jobs in American and global media. Thomson, 47, who has been the top editor of The Times of London and managing editor of the United States edition of The Financial Times, succeeds Marcus W Brauchli, who was forced out as managing editor on April 22, after the takeover of The Journal by Murdoch’s News Corporation. In addition to being managing editor of The Journal, Thomson will hold the title of editor-in-chief of Dow Jones, The Journal’s parent company, which News Corporation acquired in December. Assuming the duties of publisher will be Leslie Hinton, another Murdoch loyalist who is chief executive of Dow Jones. Thomson has already played a leading role in reshaping The Journal, which has been devoted mostly to business and economic news. Murdoch envisions a more general-interest newspaper with shorter articles, more hard news on the front page, and more coverage of politics, and national and international affairs. When he took control of the paper five months ago, Murdoch made Thomson the publisher, but with none of the usual publisher’s business-related duties. In an interview, Thomson called himself “the head of content” and it became increasingly clear that he would have a hand in directing news coverage and setting the paper’s new direction, which was seen in the newsroom as undercutting Brauchli’s authority.Going forward, Thomson will make cosmetic changes to The Journal soon, and will expand the newswires staff, particularly the number of reporters overseas, according to a person briefed on his plans.In an interview more than a year ago, two days after Murdoch’s bid for Dow Jones became public, he said he did not plan to transplant any of the editors of his other papers to The Journal and that he admired those who were already running the paper. But he added that he would call on Thomson, the top editor of The Times of London since 2002, for advice in running The Journal. The Times of London is also owned by News Corporation. During the months of negotiation and preparation that followed, people who discussed the company with Murdoch said it was clear that he wanted to put The Journal under Thomson’s leadership. But under an agreement with the Bancroft family, which had owned a controlling interest in the company, Murdoch was prohibited from removing or appointing a managing editor without the consent of an oversight committee. The selection of Thomson has been ratified unanimously by the oversight committee.
