New WSJ Chief Stunned by American “Work Ethic”

From a story on thespectator.com by Andrew Cockburn headlined “New WSJ chief stunned by so-called American ‘work ethic'”:

Emma Tucker has had her work cut out for her since she was moved from London to New York, and from the editorship of the Sunday Times to the helm of the Wall Street Journal. The step up to the pride of Murdoch’s newspaper stable from its plucky British cousin was enough of a challenge. Then Evan Gershkovich was arrested by Vladimir Putin’s goons, putting the paper’s leadership into full-blown crisis-management mode.

Cockburn understands that the flat-out Tucker has been underwhelmed by the work ethic of her new American colleagues. “What do they all do all day?” she is reportedly prone to wondering out loud. The Wall Street Journal’s newsroom is gargantuan compared to the Sunday Times — and its 1,800 or so journalists constitute a vast army by any editor’s standards. The Journal is famous for a laborious and bureaucratic editing process, just the sort of thing Fleet Street dynamos like Tucker can’t stand about self-serious American journalism.

Tucker’s trusty lieutenant is managing editor Liz Harris, an Aussie who Tucker brought with her from London. Two top WSJ editors were cut this week, and Harris will surely be looking for further efficiencies soon. The pair were adroit cost-cutters in London and are gearing up to take a similar approach in New York. To any Wall Street Journal employees reading, Cockburn advises you get back into the office and make yourself busy, pronto!