Lead Writer, Live Markets (New York)
The Wall Street Journal is seeking a dynamic journalist to serve as the lead writer for our Live Markets blog, based in the New York headquarters at the heart of global finance.
The ideal candidate is fluent in stocks, bonds, commodities, currencies, and crypto, with the skills to translate complex Wall Street lingo into plain English for our highly educated audience. In this high-visibility role, you will anchor real-time coverage of the biggest shifts in business, finance, and the U.S. economy, marshalling the resources needed to document the market's winners and losers as news unfolds. You bring sharp wit, voice, and distinct personality to your writing—always grounded in the smart and authoritative tone our readers expect. You love that markets change rapidly, and you relish unraveling the mysteries beneath the numbers by portraying the real people who make, lose, and manage fortunes.
The successful candidate will combine hyper-organization with a calm demeanor under intense deadline pressure. You will be one of the leaders on our Live Markets product, working closely with editors and reporters across global bureaus to spot emerging trends, synthesize complex economic data, and experiment with non-text storytelling formats like interactive graphics and audio.
You will:
Lead real-time, live-blog coverage of the defining market events, economic reports, and corporate moves driving global finance each day, bringing flair and keen insight to the page.
Coordinate with reporters and editors across newsrooms to synthesize breaking news into clear, compelling, and authoritative market commentary.
Identify opportunities to tell original market stories readers can’t find anywhere else, using data, graphics, and sharp narrative hooks.
Help shape the voice, tone, and strategic direction of the Live Markets blog and daily markets coverage for a global audience.
You have:
At least five years of financial journalism experience, with a track record of covering markets, the economy, or corporate finance under intense deadline pressure.
The skills and instincts to jump on breaking news immediately, writing quickly, cleanly, and with an engaging, witty, yet professional voice.
High flexibility to pivot seamlessly between asset classes and economic themes based on news flow.
Deep comfort navigating complex financial data and using numbers to undergird fast-turn stories.
A keen sense of the Journal’s audience and a collaborative approach to working with cross-bureau teams and multi-format editors.
To apply, please submit your resume, a cover letter detailing how you would lead Live Markets coverage, and five examples of your best work by Friday, October 2nd. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and early submission is encouraged.
Equal Opportunity Employer
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status or any other protected characteristic under applicable law. EEO/Disabled/Vets
Reasonable Accommodation
We are committed to providing reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals with disabilities in our job application and/or interview process. If you need assistance or accommodation in completing your application or participating in an interview due to a disability, email us at [email protected]. Please put "Reasonable Accommodation" in the subject line and provide a brief description of the type of assistance you need. This inbox will not be monitored for application status updates.Please refer to the privacy notice at the bottom of this page for submitting any data access, deletion, or other data subject rights requests, where permitted under your local laws and regulations.
Business Area:
Dow Jones - News - WSJJob Category:
Editorial/JournalismUnion Status:
Union roleBase Pay Range: $140,000 - $175,000
We’re committed to offering competitive and flexible compensation to attract top talent. This pay range reflects our good faith estimate for the role and may vary based on a candidate’s experience, skills, location, and other relevant factors.
For bonus-eligible roles, targets are determined based on multiple considerations, including market benchmarks and individual contributions.
For benefits-eligible roles, we offer a comprehensive and competitive benefits package covering health, retirement, wellbeing, and more, along with optional benefits to meet the diverse needs of our employees.
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