Robert James Thomson
Encyclopedia
Robert James Thomson is an Australian journalist
and the managing editor of the Wall Street Journal. He is former editor
of The Times
newspaper in London, England. On 20 May 2008 News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch
named Thomson as the paper's new managing editor, succeeding Marcus Brauchli. Thomson holds both the managing editor position as well as the position of editor-in-chief of Dow Jones & Co., the News Corp. unit that publishes the Journal, according to News Corp.
. At school he played Australian rules football
and in his final years was a member of the First XVIII football team. In 1977, Thomson gained a profound interest in tennis, challenging all the locals in his home town of Elwood, Melbourne. He started as a journalist in 1979, when he joined The Herald
in Melbourne, working as a finance and general affairs reporter before becoming the paper’s Sydney correspondent. In 1983, he was hired by The Sydney Morning Herald
as a senior feature writer, and was nominated by the paper for Australian Journalist of the Year for his work examining the country’s judiciary. His grandmother's family name was Dell'Oro, as she came from Ossola
valley, in Italy
. To give the name an English sound, she changed it into Dellor.
Robert Thomson became Editor of the US edition of the Financial Times
in the summer of 1998, taking editorial responsibility for the FT Group's ambitious drive into the US market, where the newspaper's circulation trebled in four years. He was named US Business Journalist of the Year in 2001 by the influential trade journal TJFR/NewsBios
.
He was in the running to become editor of the Financial Times when Richard Lambert
stepped down from the role in 2001, but came second to Andrew Gowers
. Soon afterwards he was appointed editor of The Times of London on 6 March 2002.
Prior to arriving in New York he was Editor of the Weekend FT and Assistant Editor of the Financial Times
(FT). He orchestrated a redesign of the Weekend FT in late 1996 and that edition became the fastest growing newspaper in the UK market during 1997. He was also responsible for the evolution of the occasional “How to Spend It” magazine into an award-winning monthly.
From 1994 to 1996, he was the FT’s Foreign News Editor in London, overseeing the paper’s extensive network of correspondents. Thomson had been a correspondent himself in Tokyo
(1989–1994), and in Beijing
(1985–1989), where he reported on the country’s economic and social reforms.
He is the author of The Judges: A Portrait of the Australian Judiciary (Allen & Unwin) and co-author of The Chinese Army (Weldon Owen) and he edited a collection of humorous writing (True Fiction, published by Penguin Books).
Under Thomson, The Times
paid more attention to international politics, business, financial markets and sport. In 2003 The Times launched a compact
edition alongside the broadsheet
format and one year later on 1 November 2004 The Times became 100% compact.
Thomson is married to Wang Ping, the daughter of a general in the Chinese People's Liberation Army
.
Dr Robert Thomson, was given an honorary doctorate and was a keynote speaker at RMIT University's Dec 2010 graduation.
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and the managing editor of the Wall Street Journal. He is former editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
of The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
newspaper in London, England. On 20 May 2008 News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch
Rupert Murdoch
Keith Rupert Murdoch, AC, KSG is an Australian-American business magnate. He is the founder and Chairman and CEO of , the world's second-largest media conglomerate....
named Thomson as the paper's new managing editor, succeeding Marcus Brauchli. Thomson holds both the managing editor position as well as the position of editor-in-chief of Dow Jones & Co., the News Corp. unit that publishes the Journal, according to News Corp.
Biography
Thomson was born in Torrumbarry, Australia and studied at Christian Brothers College, St Kilda and the Royal Melbourne Institute of TechnologyRMIT University
RMIT University is an Australian public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. It has two branches, referred to as RMIT University in Australia and RMIT International University in Vietnam....
. At school he played Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
and in his final years was a member of the First XVIII football team. In 1977, Thomson gained a profound interest in tennis, challenging all the locals in his home town of Elwood, Melbourne. He started as a journalist in 1979, when he joined The Herald
Herald Sun
The Herald Sun is a morning tabloid newspaper based in Melbourne, Australia. It is published by The Herald and Weekly Times, a subsidiary of News Limited, itself a subsidiary of News Corporation. It is available for purchase throughout Melbourne, Regional Victoria, Tasmania, the Australian Capital...
in Melbourne, working as a finance and general affairs reporter before becoming the paper’s Sydney correspondent. In 1983, he was hired by The Sydney Morning Herald
The Sydney Morning Herald
The Sydney Morning Herald is a daily broadsheet newspaper published by Fairfax Media in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1831 as the Sydney Herald, the SMH is the oldest continuously published newspaper in Australia. The newspaper is published six days a week. The newspaper's Sunday counterpart, The...
as a senior feature writer, and was nominated by the paper for Australian Journalist of the Year for his work examining the country’s judiciary. His grandmother's family name was Dell'Oro, as she came from Ossola
Ossola
The Ossola is an area of Italy situated to the north of Lago Maggiore. It lies within the Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola. Its principal river is the Toce, and its most important town Domodossola....
valley, in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. To give the name an English sound, she changed it into Dellor.
Robert Thomson became Editor of the US edition of the Financial Times
Financial Times
The Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
in the summer of 1998, taking editorial responsibility for the FT Group's ambitious drive into the US market, where the newspaper's circulation trebled in four years. He was named US Business Journalist of the Year in 2001 by the influential trade journal TJFR/NewsBios
NewsBios
NewsBios is an Internet-based service that provides in-depth, unauthorized bios on the world’s most influential business and financial reporters, editors, writers, producers, anchors, freelancers and other journalists.-History:...
.
He was in the running to become editor of the Financial Times when Richard Lambert
Richard Lambert
Sir Richard Peter Lambert is the former Director-General of the CBI, and the present Chancellor of the University of Warwick.-Education:...
stepped down from the role in 2001, but came second to Andrew Gowers
Andrew Gowers
Andrew Gowers was appointed editor of the Financial Times in October 2001. He resigned from this post in November 2005 citing "strategic differences", following the FT losing a libel case brought by brokerage firm Collins Stewart Tullett Plc....
. Soon afterwards he was appointed editor of The Times of London on 6 March 2002.
Prior to arriving in New York he was Editor of the Weekend FT and Assistant Editor of the Financial Times
Financial Times
The Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
(FT). He orchestrated a redesign of the Weekend FT in late 1996 and that edition became the fastest growing newspaper in the UK market during 1997. He was also responsible for the evolution of the occasional “How to Spend It” magazine into an award-winning monthly.
From 1994 to 1996, he was the FT’s Foreign News Editor in London, overseeing the paper’s extensive network of correspondents. Thomson had been a correspondent himself in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
(1989–1994), and in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
(1985–1989), where he reported on the country’s economic and social reforms.
He is the author of The Judges: A Portrait of the Australian Judiciary (Allen & Unwin) and co-author of The Chinese Army (Weldon Owen) and he edited a collection of humorous writing (True Fiction, published by Penguin Books).
Under Thomson, The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
paid more attention to international politics, business, financial markets and sport. In 2003 The Times launched a compact
Compact (newspaper)
A compact newspaper is a broadsheet-quality newspaper printed in a tabloid format, especially one in the United Kingdom. The term is used also for this size came into use in its current use when The Independent began producing a smaller format edition for London's commuters, designed to be easier...
edition alongside the broadsheet
Broadsheet
Broadsheet is the largest of the various newspaper formats and is characterized by long vertical pages . The term derives from types of popular prints usually just of a single sheet, sold on the streets and containing various types of material, from ballads to political satire. The first broadsheet...
format and one year later on 1 November 2004 The Times became 100% compact.
Thomson is married to Wang Ping, the daughter of a general in the Chinese People's Liberation Army
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...
.
Dr Robert Thomson, was given an honorary doctorate and was a keynote speaker at RMIT University's Dec 2010 graduation.