Matt Murray (journalist)

For other people named Matt Murray, see Matt Murray (disambiguation).

Matt Murray
Born	(1966-05-02) May 2, 1966 (age 58)
Education	Northwestern University (BS, MS)
Spouse	Janine Dyck Flory ​ (m. 2002)​
Children	1

Matt Murray (born May 2, 1966) is an American journalist who has been the executive editor of The Washington Post since June 2024.[1] He was the editor in chief of The Wall Street Journal from 2018 until 2023.

Career

Murray began as a journalist at the Journal in 1994, beginning in the Pittsburgh bureau. He joined the Money & Investing section in 1997, covering banking. He rose through the ranks to deputy managing editor and then executive editor.[2][3]

Editor-in-chief

On June 5, 2018, Murray was named editor-in-chief of the Wall Street Journal, succeeding Gerard Baker and assuming the role on June 11.[4]

As editor-in-chief, Murray oversaw the Wall Street Journal investigations into Michael Cohen and the Stormy Daniels–Donald Trump scandal that led to the Journal's Pulitzer win in 2019.[5][6]

In February 2020, amid backlash from the Chinese government regarding the headline of a Wall Street Journal opinion piece, Murray agreed with the complaints but could not take any action due to the separation between news and opinion at the paper.[7]

In the wake of the murder of George Floyd and subsequent protests, journalists at the Journal sent multiple letters to Murray lamenting the paper's lack of diversity as well as demanding changes to the way the paper covers race, policing, and finance.[8][9]

Murray was reported to have a strained relationship with Almar Latour, the CEO of Dow Jones, which publishes The Wall Street Journal.[10] He was replaced as editor-in-chief by British journalist Emma Tucker on February 1, 2023.[11][12]

Washington Post

In June 2024 he was appointed editor-in-chief of the Washington Post, after Sally Buzbee resigned the position.[13]

Education

Murray earned bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism from Northwestern University.[2]

Personal life

A native of Bethesda, Maryland who edited his high school newspaper, Murray married Janine Dyck Flory, PhD, in October 2002.[14] [15] They live with their daughter in New York City.[2]

Books

Murray wrote The Father and the Son, about his father's journey from government employee to Benedictine monk in Illinois,[16] and the co-author of Strong of Heart.[2]

References

1. Ellison, Sarah; Izadi, Elahe; Barr, Jeremy (June 3, 2024). "Washington Post editor and CEO clashed on reorganization before her exit". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
2. Lopez, Ricardo (June 5, 2018). "Matt Murray Named Wall Street Journal Editor, Gerard Baker Shifts to Editor-at-Large". Variety. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
3. Abbruzzese, Jason (June 5, 2018). "The Wall Street Journal appoints Matt Murray as editor-in-chief". NBC News. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
4. Alpert, Lukas I. (June 5, 2018). "Matt Murray Named Editor in Chief of The Wall Street Journal". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
5. Harris Jr., Roy J. (April 16, 2019). "A Wall Street Journal Pulitzer win brings pride — and relief — about their work exposing hush-money payments". Poynter. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
6. Atkinson, Claire (February 21, 2019). "New WSJ editor on China, big tech, and the struggle to cover a 'unique' president". NBC News. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
7. Tracy, Marc (February 22, 2020). "Inside The Wall Street Journal, Tensions Rise Over 'Sick Man' China Headline". The New York Times. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
8. Safdar, Khadeeja; Trachtenberg, Jeffrey A.; Mullin, Benjamin (June 15, 2020). "America's Newsrooms Face a Reckoning on Race After Floyd Protests". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
9. Tracy, Marc (July 10, 2020). "Wall Street Journal Staff Members Push for Big Changes in News Coverage". The New York Times. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
10. Lee, Edmund (April 10, 2021). "Inside the Fight for the Future of The Wall Street Journal". The New York Times. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
11. Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg; Alexandra Bruell (December 12, 2022). "Emma Tucker Is Named New Editor of The Wall Street Journal, Succeeding Matt Murray". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Wikidata Q115688997. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
12. Perlberg, Steven. "Wall Street Journal insiders are buzzing about what a leadership shake-up could mean for Murdoch world". Business Insider. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
13. "New Washington Post editor Matt Murray meets staff after abrupt Buzbee exit | The Spokesman-Review". www.spokesman.com. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
14. "WEDDINGS/CELEBRATIONS; Janine Flory, Matthew Murray". The New York Times. October 13, 2002. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
15. "New Post editors Matt Murray, Robert Winnett praised for tough journalism". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
16. "A Son's View of Father's Trek to Monasticism". Los Angeles Times. November 20, 1999. Retrieved January 22, 2020.