Wall Street Journal Editor Defends Paper’s Coverage of Trump

Wall Street Journal Editor in Chief Gerard Baker aggressively defended the newspaper against criticism that its reporting on President Donald Trump has been soft, saying the coverage has aimed to hold the new administration accountable without becoming “oppositional.” Baker said he has found it “irritating” to read critiques of the Journal’s coverage of President Trump. He rattled off a string of Journal exclusives and in-depth articles as evidence of the paper’s aggressive coverage, including reporting on the president’s business conflicts and foreign dealings and the recent controversy surrounding Michael Flynn, his national security adviser.

Addressing an internal forum of over 100 newsroom employees—with others listening by phone around the world—Baker also spoke about the state of the business. He said a “very adverse” advertising environment forced 200 job cuts through layoffs and buyouts, but pointed to substantial gains in digital subscriptions. The event came after multiple media reports, citing unnamed news employees, described internal rancor at the Journal over its approach to covering the Trump administration under Baker’s leadership.