SINGAPORE: In a significant restructuring move, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) announced on Thursday (2 May) a major reorganization of its Asian operations, involving both structural and geographic changes. As part of this reorganization, the center of the Journal’s regional coverage will move from Hong Kong to Singapore, a decision that mirrors similar shifts by numerous corporations in the region.
The change was conveyed to WSJ employees via an email from Editor-in-Chief Emma Tucker, who outlined the reasons behind the shift and its implications.
According to Ms Tucker, the reorganization aims to streamline business, finance, and economics coverage, bringing together previously separate teams under a single unified group. This move is expected to strengthen the Journal’s focus on key business stories emerging from Asia.
“Today we announced changes to the Asia operations of The Wall Street Journal,” the editor wrote. “Some of these changes are structural: We are bringing together our business, finance, and economics coverage. Some are geographic: We are shifting our center of gravity in the region from Hong Kong to Singapore, as many of the companies we cover have done.”
This shift means that some employees, predominantly those based in Hong Kong, will be leaving the Journal.
While this is a challenging transition, Tucker expressed her gratitude for their contributions and acknowledged the difficulty of saying goodbye to valued colleagues. “It is difficult to say goodbye, and I want to thank them for the contributions they have made to the Journal,” she noted.
Despite the changes, the WSJ reaffirmed its commitment to delivering ambitious and agenda-setting journalism out of Asia.
The newly formed business, finance, and economics group will have a clear mandate to cover the biggest money stories in the region, such as China’s electric vehicle (EV) industry, the ongoing chip war, the evolving challenges in Hong Kong’s financial sector, and China’s notable property bust.
At the heart of this change is a drive to produce high-quality news coverage, with a focus on breaking news, distinctive features, and deep analysis. To lead this new group, the WSJ is seeking an editor who will be based in Singapore, reflecting the strategic shift in the Journal’s regional focus.
The restructuring signals a broader industry trend as companies adapt to the evolving business landscape in Asia. While it brings about notable changes within the WSJ’s Asian operations, the Journal has affirmed that it remains committed to robust journalism.