New WSJ Europe site helps 'pass the baton' between international editions, says editor

The Wall Street Journal's (WSJ) newly expanded European online edition - with increased regionally relevant content, better navigation and new multimedia features - was launched yesterday by a newly created online news team based in London and Brussels.

The changes enhance existing content, rather than introduce radically new features, Neil McIntosh, the site's editor, told Journalism.co.uk.

McIntosh, who joined WSJ in January from his post as development editor at Guardian.co.uk, said it was 'interesting and fascinating to see how the news agenda changed' throughout the first day of the site.

"The brilliant thing for me, as an editor here, is that the people in Asia have been working on all the stories for hours before I get up so I'm coming in to news which is both up-to-the-minute and written by people who really understand the area. Hopefully we'll be doing the same thing for our colleagues in the US," he said.

"The baton's being passed around the world. We're doing things for our readers in Europe and Asia which before would have been much harder."

Users must subscribe to the site to see full content, in a model McIntosh described as 'phenomenonally successful'. Free to all users, however, are increased multimedia features including video, interactive graphics and podcasts, regional market data centres, new topic pages and Weekend Journal pages.

In addition to the changes to the European site, the WSJ's Asia site has also expanded and a new homepage for India has been introduced.

"Today's launch signifies a new era for the Wall Street Journal in Europe," Andrew Langhoff, publisher of WSJ Europe and managing director in Europe of Dow Jones' Consumer Media Group, said in a release.

"We're leveraging one of the most successful online properties in the world to deliver a website edited in Europe - for Europeans - that draws on our unrivalled network of reporters and editors worldwide.

"The launch of Europe WSJ.com demonstrates our continuing commitment and investment in the region, and gives our regional audience even greater access to the news and analysis they need most."

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