Rebecca Blumenstein, the deputy editor in chief of The Wall Street Journal, is moving a few blocks to work for the company’s archrival.
After more than two decades as a reporter and editor at The Journal, Blumenstein is leaving to become a deputy managing editor. In a staff memo, Wall Street Journal Editor-in-Chief Gerry Baker hailed Blumenstein, calling her “a peerless exponent and advocate of the very highest quality journalism.”
“As a reporter, bureau chief and editor, she has brought an uncommon energy, decency, warmth and integrity to every story she has been involved with.”
At The New York Times, Blumenstein will be responsible for “making sure we remain an essential destination for readers interested in business, finance, economics and technology,” according to a memo from Executive Editor Dean Baquet and Managing Editor Joe Kahn:
“Rebecca is thoughtful, collaborative, competitive and a delightful colleague. We’re confident you’ll agree she’ll make a great member of the newsroom team. So please join us in welcoming her to The Times.”
The news was a blow to some Journal staffers, who are “devastated” about Blumenstein’s departure, according to a source cited by Politico:
https://twitter.com/joepompeo/status/829079209528217600
Blumenstein resumé is stacked with increasingly senior positions at The Journal. She came to the paper in 1995 to cover General Motors in Detroit, then moved to New York to cover telecom three years later, according to her LinkedIn bio.
Over the next 19 years, she worked as The Journal’s China bureau chief, its international editor, the managing editor of WSJ.com and the Page One editor. In 2013, she was promoted to deputy editor in chief.
“Please join me in expressing our gratitude to Rebecca for her outstanding contribution over a long and distinguished career at Dow Jones and The Wall Street Journal,” Baker said.
Correction: A previous version of this report referred to “Gerry Smith.” The correct spelling is “Gerry Baker.”
