For other people named Matt Murray, see Matt Murray (disambiguation).
Matt Murray
Birth dateMay 2, 1966 (age 60)
Birth placeBethesda, Maryland
EducationWalter Johnson High School, Northwestern University (BS, MS)
SpouseJanine Dyck Flory (m. 2002)

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.

Education

Murray attended Walter Johnson High School in Bethesda, Maryland, where he edited the school newspaper, The Pitch.[2] He attended Medill School of Journalism,[3] at Northwestern University, earning his bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism.[4]

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.[4][5]

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.[6]

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.[7][8]

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.[9]

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.[10][11]

Murray was reported to have a strained relationship with Almar Latour, the CEO of Dow Jones, which publishes The Wall Street Journal.[12] He was replaced as editor-in-chief by British journalist Emma Tucker on February 1, 2023.[13][14]

Washington Post

In June 2024 he was appointed editor-in-chief of the Washington Post, after Sally Buzbee resigned the position.[15] In February 2026, following mass layoffs at the Washington Post, Murray personally spiked a pre-prepared story detailing these layoffs, ensuring the Post would not have any coverage of its own downsizing.[16]

Personal life

Murray married Janine Dyck Flory, PhD, in October 2002.[17][18] They live with their daughter in New York City.[4]

Books

Murray wrote The Father and the Son, about his father's journey from government employee to Benedictine monk in Illinois,[19] and co-authored Strong Of Heart. Life And Death In The Fire Department Of New York.[4]

  • Murray, Matt (October 20, 1999). The Father and the Son: My Father's Journey into the Monastic Life. New York, New York: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 978-0060187828.
  • Van Essen, Thomas & Murray, Matt (August 1, 2002). Strong Of Heart. Life And Death In The Fire Department Of New York. New York, New York: William Morrow and Company. ISBN 978-0060509491.

References

  1. ^ Ellison, Sarah; Izadi, Elahe; Barr, Jeremy (2024-06-03). "Washington Post editor and CEO clashed on reorganization before her exit". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2024-06-15.
  2. ^ "The Pitch". The Pitch. Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  3. ^ "BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Matt Murray, editor-in-chief of the WSJ". POLITICO. 2019-05-02. Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  4. ^ Lopez, Ricardo (5 June 2018). "Matt Murray Named Wall Street Journal Editor, Gerard Baker Shifts to Editor-at-Large". Variety. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
  5. ^ Abbruzzese, Jason (5 June 2018). "The Wall Street Journal appoints Matt Murray as editor-in-chief". NBC News. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
  6. ^ Alpert, Lukas I. (5 June 2018). "Matt Murray Named Editor in Chief of The Wall Street Journal". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  7. ^ Harris Jr., Roy J. (16 April 2019). "A Wall Street Journal Pulitzer win brings pride — and relief — about their work exposing hush-money payments". Poynter. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  8. ^ Atkinson, Claire (21 February 2019). "New WSJ editor on China, big tech, and the struggle to cover a 'unique' president". NBC News. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  9. ^ Tracy, Marc (22 February 2020). "Inside The Wall Street Journal, Tensions Rise Over 'Sick Man' China Headline". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  10. ^ Safdar, Khadeeja; Trachtenberg, Jeffrey A.; Mullin, Benjamin (15 June 2020). "America's Newsrooms Face a Reckoning on Race After Floyd Protests". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  11. ^ Tracy, Marc (10 July 2020). "Wall Street Journal Staff Members Push for Big Changes in News Coverage". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  12. ^ Lee, Edmund (10 April 2021). "Inside the Fight for the Future of The Wall Street Journal". The New York Times. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  13. ^ Wikidata item Q115688997
  14. ^ Perlberg, Steven. "Wall Street Journal insiders are buzzing about what a leadership shake-up could mean for Murdoch world". Business Insider. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
  15. ^ "New Washington Post editor Matt Murray meets staff after abrupt Buzbee exit | The Spokesman-Review". www.spokesman.com. Retrieved 2024-06-15.
  16. ^ Status. "MS NOW’s Crooked Play". Status. Retrieved 2026-02-06.
  17. ^ "WEDDINGS/CELEBRATIONS; Janine Flory, Matthew Murray". The New York Times. 13 October 2002. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  18. ^ "New Post editors Matt Murray, Robert Winnett praised for tough journalism". The Washington Post. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
  19. ^ "A Son's View of Father's Trek to Monasticism". Los Angeles Times. 1999-11-20. Retrieved 2020-01-22.