News Corp Names New Top Editor For WSJ

News Corp named veteran U.K. journalist Emma Tucker as the next editor in chief of The Wall Street Journal, succeeding Matt Murray, who oversaw significant digital growth and guided the news organization through the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ms. Tucker, 56 years old, will assume her new position on Feb. 1, the company said Monday. Mr. Murray, also 56, will work with Ms. Tucker during a transition period until March 1. He will then continue in a senior position at News Corp, where he will work on new projects and report to Chief Executive Robert Thomson.

Emma Tucker

“As a long-time admirer and reader of the brilliant journalism of The Wall Street Journal, it is my honor to edit this great newspaper,” Ms. Tucker said in a statement. “I can’t wait to work with the entire team at the Journal and my new colleagues at Dow Jones, who have done so much in recent years to publish journalism that matters and set new records along the way.”

Tucker, who will be the first woman to lead the Journal, has served as editor of the Sunday Times, another News Corp publication, since January 2020. Among her achievements was the outlet’s coverage of the pandemic, which began early in her tenure, including a widely read article examining the British government’s missteps in preventing the spread of the virus.

As editor, Tucker has supported deeply reported investigations, tackling difficult subjects. Earlier this year, for example, the Sunday Times investigated the use of the epilepsy drug sodium valproate and its impact on unborn children.

At the Sunday Times, Tucker has prioritized audience growth, utilizing analytics and data to inform change in the newsroom, people who have worked with her say. On her watch, digital readership more than doubled, News Corp said. Digital subscriptions at the Times and Sunday Times grew from 320,000 at the end of 2019 to roughly 450,000 as of September 2022.

The Journal said Mr. Murray would take on a new role, reporting to Robert Thomson, the chief executive of Mr. Murdoch’s News Corp, The Journal’s parent company.